The Gate
MAY 2008
The Official Newsletter of Gateway Covenant Church “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!” -Psalm 133:1 Firmly nestled on the East End of Prince Albert stands Gateway Covenant Church, built in 1981 as a community desiring to ask the questions of “what does it mean to be the church?” and “how do we feed the spiritually homeless?” Gateway seeks to give people a safe environment where they may be free to worship in a
Gateway Covenant Church
COVENANT
A F F I R M AT I O N S
comfortable setting and articulate how God has been at work in their life. Worship begins at 10 in the morning followed by coffee where people are free to chat. There are also classes which occur during this time. For youth, there is a confirmation class in process. For children, there is a Sunday school class where they can hear story and make crafts. There are also adult classes. Come and worship with us! God bless and take care.
Table of Contents: A Word From Randall/ New Library Books Thoughts from the Intern Whats Been Happening At Gateway?
Phone: (306) 764 - 7155 Fax: (306) 763-1570 Website: www.covgate.com Email: gatewaycovenant@hotmail.com Address: Box 2318 Prince Albert, SK S6V 6Z1
Gateway Covenant Church
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COVENANT
A F F I R M AT I O N S 1
Who are the ECC? The Evangelical Covenant Church is a denomination of more than six hundred churches in the United States and Canada. It was founded by Swedish immigrants in 1885 as a voluntary covenant of churches committed to working together to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Covenant churches emphasize the Bible's witness to new life in Jesus Christ expressed in a day to day walk with the Lord.
A Word from Randall
What is a Covenant Church?
In my coursework self evaluation I recently completed, I was reflecting on how I've changed and my view of God has shifted too. I think that the most profound and amazing thing I have rediscovered, is that God loves to be loved and loves to be gracious. Even as I type that, my eyes get all moist and blurry. From the young lady who has found life changing joy through a God given relationship, to the lost young man who has begun to reconnect with God again through his rediscovered creativity, God loves to be loved and loves to be gracious. Of course not all the stories have happy endings but even through the difficult stories, people are not empty of loving God. Just because you hate your job, or your kids hate you, or you are having financial difficulty doesn't remove your love for God - or for that matter His love for you. In fact that kind of love is often a deeper thing than a "God treats me nice so I love him" kind of love. God really does love to be loved, and he loves to be gracious. Maybe remember that this day, no matter what shape your story is taking.
• Evangelical, but not exclusive. • Biblical, but not doctrinaire. • Traditional, but not rigid. • Congregational, but not independent. The Evangelical Covenant Church is an apostolic, catholic, reformation, and evangelical church. Who hold to the centrality of the word of God, the necessity of the new birth, a commitment to the whole mission of the Church, the Church as a fellowship of believers, a conscious dependence on the holy spirit, and the reality of freedom in Christ.1 To download the Covenant affirmations please visit the website of the ECC at: 1
http://www.covchurch.org/ affirmations
God loves to be gracious, to you. Pastor Randall
New Book Series From The Library! Looking for a good read? Check out Gateway’s Library, where additions are constantly being made. And, of course, reading is a good skill to cultivate. A recent addition made to the library has been Bodie Thoene’s “Shiloh Legacy Series” which takes place in World War I where four friends of different races and backgrounds join together to fight for a common cause of peace. The Shiloh Legacy traces the friendships of these four friends as their lives intertwine both in WW I and the larger cultural war that arises amongst people after WW I.
Thoughts From The Intern It was St. Augustine who wrote in his Confessions that “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until we find rest in you.” (Book I, chapter i) He successfully spoke of our status as human beings. The question then becomes if all we need to do is find God, where do we find God? A Christian’s inclination would be that the fullest account of God is found in the pages of the bible. The role in which the Word plays in our lives cannot be underplayed (I do not utter these sentiments on part of my bias as a biblical studies major). But when one examines the role scripture played in church history, the Christian who holds a low view of scripture ought to re-examine himself. I will source three roles scripture has played in church history which I think really stand out: 1) As comforter, 2) as preserver, and 3) teacher. In the early Church, scriptures were a rarity and thus an exceptional item if a community was blessed to have some parchments which contained the story of God teaching his people. It led them to believe that in times of trouble there will be a day when
evil will be done away with and the oppressive forces of the earth will be stripped of power. Revelation, written in the midst of harsh persecution under the emperor Domitian, clearly attests to this theme. The goal of the medieval times for the church was preserving scriptures. The scriptures had to be preserved amongst great strife in a crumbling empire. Christians were preserving their story for later generations. While many couldn’t read these stories, the stories were transmitted in the churches by other means like music, sermons, and visual art (i.e., stained glass). Finally, the scriptures have been a medium which allow us to engage with the questions that matter most. While the scriptures teaches us who God is in many deep and revealing ways, it is equally teaching us about ourselves, and those two are inextricably wedded together. In a sense, we are dialoguing with scripture when we read it. We are unconsciously looking for a symmetry between our story and the stories we find in the scriptures, and when we hit that point and say “Ah Ha!” It is then when God speaks to us in the pages of the scriptures. We can’t deny the need for scriptures to be read in church, in our home, in our own private meditations with the triune God. It is good that we encourage one another to be steeped in the Word It is the source in which we encounter the story of God trying to meet us in the most intimate ways possible, as one of us.
What’s Been Happening at Gateway Toronto Missions Trip Thomas Friesen and Mark Jensen will be heading to Toronto with members of the Canadian Conference on August 9th and returning the 17th. The trip will include helping various Covenant church plants and working in various ministries that help the poor and oppressed in urban settings. The trip costs involve booking ones own flight and an additional $800.00 for accommodations. If any one is interested in supporting Thomas and Mark, please talk to them. If anyone feels they are being called to this short term missions trip, please inform Thomas and Mark and they will pass that information on to Gavin Jensen who is leading the trip.
Camping Trip Covenant Heights Bible Camp is coming soon! CHBC is a ministry of the ECC at Clear Lake, Manitoba where kids have the opportunity to meet new friends and develop new skills. There are games and physical activities with Christian teaching and encouragement. There are three camps: Junior (Grades 2-5), Intermediate (Grades 6-8), and Teen (Grades 9-12). Junior camp goes from July 6-11, Intermediate goes from June 29-July 5, and Teen goes from July 13-19. All camps are $100.00. For more information, the pamphlet on the youth group bulletin board.
New BBQ? Church BBQ/Picnic Sunday June 8th, 12 p.m. Church end of year bbq/picnic. Bring salads and buns and friends and family, we’ll provide the meat.
The council at Gateway is looking at purchasing a new barbecue for our summer activities. If any one wants to give towards the barbecue, just include it in the offering.
Some Thoughts on Scripture “The Bible tells us to love our neighbors , and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.” - G.K. Chesterton, journalist “I've read the last page of the Bible. It's all going to turn out all right.” - Billy Graham, evangelist “If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.” - Augustine of Hippo, doctor of the early church “When we come to the Bible with our questions—How shall I think of God and the universe? How to arrive at the divine?—it answers us, as it were, “My dear sir. these are your problems: you must not ask me! Whether it is better to hear Mass or hear a sermon, whether the proper form of Christianity is to be discovered in the Salvation Army or in ‘Christian Science.’ whether your religion should be more a religion of the understanding, or of the feelings, you can and must decide for yourself.” The Bible tells us not how we should talk with God but what he says to us; not how we find the way to him. but how he has sought and found the way to us.” -Karl Barth, theologian “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” - 2 Timothy 3:16, NASB
What’s Been Happening At Gateway Loewen Home Visits Many ladies from the congregation have been visiting the Loewen home every third Wednesday of the month. Also they have been visiting Hillside Care home on the second Tuesday of every month. At these visits the ladies have provided singing and devotional scriptural readings all over a warm cup of tea with the residents.
XSF Joy Marc Vandersluys has been busy at work on Sundays teaching children some crafts and reading them stories. If you have a kid who wants to have some fun, send them over to Marc’s class after church.
Moving Out At the end of July or the beginning of August, Trijntie Roy will be moving out of her home at Christopher Lake into a condo on Muzzy drive, a block from Gateway. The Christopher Lake home was built 50 years ago by Trynjie and Lionel as a summer cottage, later they moved into it when Lionel retired. At the moment she is in the process of downsizing her possessions. Although she will miss living in her home at the lake, she is happy that she will be able to be more involved at Gateway.
Congregational Meeting Thursday May 15th was the church congregational meeting. Many things were discussed including a report of the events which took place at the annual meeting in Minnedosa, Manitoba. But perhaps what was the most important issue of the night was the question of the Gateway’s future. Randall Friesen and Janet Loseth both gave presentations about the current state of Gateway and challenged the congregation to think about where there is fruit in the work at Gateway. It appeared the area of strength was in the youth and in the way Gateway serves others (i.e., the soup kitchen). Randall challenged us to re-evaluate the question of what it means to be the church and how to we serve the broken and those who are spiritually homeless. Such an invitation is for all of us. May we consider these questions with humility and openness as Gateway
presses on.
Youth Events The Youth have been hanging out every Thursday night this year. Last week the youth had a wakeover in which they enjoyed fellowship with each other over various games and activities at the church. Some of these events included trying to see who could build the largest tower which could withstand various tests. Another was a form of dodgeball where each team created a fort for themselves. Don’t forget to thank Thomas Friesen who has undertaken the task to organize the youth events this year.
Young Adults Our young adults who are now in college are working or looking for work, moving out of home, or just doing other things. May we continue pray for their safety and well being. Some updates on them: • Hillary Friesen - Living in Yellowknife where she works at a store earning some money for another year at Peace River Bible Institute. • Whitney Kutzan - Working at the Museum where it was once a Firehall. • Sara Lanoie - Living in Saskatoon for the summer taking two classes, hoping to pursue a career in kinesiology. • Mark Jensen - Working at the church as your loyal intern. • Greg Jensen - Graduated with his M.A. in Christian Studies from Providence Seminary. Now he is working hard in Winnipeg building basements. • Christian Kongawi - Currently working in Northern Alberta and will soon be back to Prince Albert. Christian is also playing in a band. • Patrick Kongawi - Graduated from University with a Bachelors in International Development. He also is engaged to Amanda Hogan, who he plans to go to the Congo with in July. • Grace Lanoie - Currently managing the clothing store 147 in the Gateway Mall. • Chris Sheldon - Living in Saskatoon working for GC Teleservices.
Saints of the Church Calendar May 31 the church celebrates the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth as recorded in Luke 1:39-56. The event commemorates the day Mary visited Elizabeth after hearing the news the Elizabeth was six months pregnant. When Mary arrives to visit Elizabeth, both her and John the Baptist were inspired by the Holy Spirit. In the Western Christian tradition, the feast day originates in the Medieval ages within the Franciscan Order before 1263 when it was recommended by St. Bonaventure. The Franciscans later spread the feast day across Europe until 1389 when it was universally adopted by Pope VI to be celebrated on July 2. Later the date was changed by Pope Paul IV where it was placed on the date of May 31, between the annunciation of the Lord and the nativity of John the Baptist.