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We exist to see people transformed into fully devoted followers of Jesus.
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gospel. community. culture.
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Looking back at 2016, it was a huge year for Village Church. We added a third site in Langley which God has already used in ways we could never have imagined. We witnessed individuals, couples, and families spontaneously decide to dedicate their lives to following Jesus on Easter Sunday at the Langley Events Centre, and again at Church in the Park. In August God continued to use Village Church to bring more and more people into a relationship with him. But while the growth has been exciting, and has continued at an astonishing rate, what has been even more important has been our ability to lay the foundations for going deeper together as a church. We don’t want to be a church that is large and shallow. We want to be a church that is rooted and solid. A people on mission together, understanding their gifts and how to use them, and committed to serving sacrificially with their time, talents and finances to reach our city and country for Jesus. Our move into the new Ministry Centre has strategically allowed us to focus more attention on disciple making. Freedom Session, Alpha, and new opportunities for Bible classes are just some of the ways we are going to be able to develop these strong roots. Whether it is a person who is new to faith, or it is a mature Christian, we want to make sure everyone is able to take their next step. We have also been able to expand our counselling ministry so that we can walk together through life’s challenges. Our Community Groups have continued to be an area of focus and will continue to be central to everything that we do as Village Church. Community is one of our core values and we are excited about the prospects of developing a community that goes deeper this year and is able to be the church God has called us to be to each other and to those around us.
Looking ahead to 2017, it’s difficult to imagine what God might have in store for us. But we are committed to our vision of multiplying ourselves through church planting and starting new Village Church campuses in the Vancouver area and across major Canadian cultural centres like Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal. In addition to this, we look forward to expanding our ability to grow deeper as a church and to be on mission locally and globally. As we work towards these goals we will continue to seek out God’s will and follow him as we do everything we can to see people transformed into fully devoted followers of Jesus.
Easter Sunday at Langley Events Centre April, 2016
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“My baptism is a constant reminder of God’s perfect plan for all of us.”
“I grew up as an atheist, until one of my close friends invited me to Village Church. I instantly began to feel the Holy Spirit moving in my heart, and I started to recognize everyday miracles as God’s work. He was making changes to my mental health and happiness that I couldn’t ignore. Two years later, I hadn’t yet been baptized, and admittedly wasn’t being very proactive about it. However, while helping take photos of the baptisms at the 9:00am Easter service this year, I felt a push from the Holy Spirit to be baptized that day. I had somebody cover photography for the 11:30am baptisms, and was baptized at that time. When I got baptized, I certainly wasn’t perfect, nor am I now. I was still broken. However, God came and met me where I was. In the weeks after being baptized, things certainly didn’t get easier - they, in fact, got more difficult. However, I recognized this as a test of my faith, and persevered through my difficulties. This allowed my faith in God to become stronger, and it allowed me to learn to praise Him even when times are difficult. Every day, I continue to develop my relationship and faith with God, and my baptism is a constant reminder of God’s perfect plan for all of us.” William Lauzon, Baptized Easter Sunday April, 2016
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BAPTISMS AT V I L L A G E
294 baptisms in 2016
74
people baptized on Easter Sunday
88
people baptized at Church in the Park
983
people baptized since 2010
“If Jesus is your Saviour, Lord, and treasure, you will be compelled to follow and glorify him with everything. When I finally got baptized, I was so excited to share the hope I had in Jesus and commit my life to serving Him.� Madison Ens Baptized November 2016
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VILL AGE L ANGLEY
A new site and a new example of God doing so much more than we could imagine In January of last year we held a church-wide survey to better understand where the people of Village Church live and to give us clarity on where to focus our next site. After crunching the data, it turned out that approximately 750 people in our church lived in Langley. We immediately went to work trying to find any viable site in that city, but it seemed every road we followed led to a dead end. Then, surprisingly and as a huge answer to prayer, we were put in touch with Church in the Valley and inquired about their new building. It was an answer to prayer because this church meets on Saturdays and was looking for a rental partner for Sundays! Thanks to their amazingly missional attitude the negotiation went quickly and we were able to hold our first service at Village Langley in June of this past year. Once again God blew up our expectations, as we had well over a thousand people show up for that first week - more than even our most optimistic forecasts. We quickly adjusted to add a second service two weeks later in order to accommodate parking and ensure that there was room for the people who attend to invite their friends and neighbours. We didn’t plant Village Langley to simply house people who already attend, we did it to continue to be on mission together, so that people can reach the city they live in for Jesus. Fast forward to our fall launch, and it became apparent that in order to continue with our vision to reach Langley with the gospel and create fully devoted followers, we needed to add a third service so that there was room to continue to grow. The beginnings of Village Langley are another humbling reminder of how God wants to use each of us to reach our spheres of influence for him. Our job is to be faithful and sacrificial while we leave the outcomes up to him. We are so grateful to God that he chose to do something so amazing in such a short time, and we are committed to following his lead as he directs us in whatever is next!
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An aerial shot of the Village Church Ministry Centre
Top: A young adults event happening in the Training Centre Bottom: A Freedom Session group meets in the Ministry Centre
Room to grow VILL AGE CHURCH MINISTRY CENTRE
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On March 1, 2016 we opened the new Ministry Centre! This was a huge answer to prayer, as we had very little room to accommodate our staff and limited ability to host gatherings or classes in our old office space. The new facility is now a busy and productive work space for our staff and also holds events almost every night of the week, including the following: • Freedom Session • Village U • Marriage Prep • Counselling • Village Kids “Next” • Volunteer Training & Appreciation Events • Marriage Course • New Members Class • Community Group Leader Training • Worship Practice • Young Adult Events
New in 2017 • Alpha • Financial Training Courses • Growth Track program • Immerse - Graduate Program
Looking forward It has been a journey of almost 5 years, looking for a solution to see Village Church establish a permanent ministry hub – a centre where we can more effectively develop leaders and fulfill our mission. Although we were blessed with a leased ministry centre space in early 2016, we are still lacking adequate facilities on a number of levels. Current rental restrictions and a lack of other leasing options are inhibiting our ability to better serve the community and fulfill the mission. The vision is for a Ministry Centre that we do ministry out of on a daily basis, developing leaders, conducting classes, mid-week kids, youth, and young adult ministries, women’s events, counselling, serving the community, Christian education, holding conferences, etc., - reaching our region and country for Jesus. It would also make sense for it to be one of our Sunday service locations. We have entered into a contract to purchase land at the corner of 148 ST and 56 Ave (#10 Highway). We have spent over 16 months on a development application – working with numerous City of Surrey departments, various technical consultants, and conducting multiple meetings with resident representatives – all towards a request to rezone the land for assembly and office gathering. Many of you attended one of the Public Information Meetings held in May and August 2016 that outlined the details of the proposal. We believe that God continues to open doors and although approval is not guaranteed, we trust Him to orchestrate. Please continue to pray for a clear result in the first half of 2017. We are inviting you to give to this pursuit. Not only are we incurring costs in the development and rezoning of this land but we also need to collect and save resources for what will be a large project – whether at this location or another. Join us by giving at thisisvillagechurch.com/landpurchasefund
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Our financial picture
2016 GIVING $6,675,444* * includes a $1,000,000 special gift
2016 GOAL $5,369,720 2016
EXPENSES & CAPITAL INVESTMENTS
$5,202,410
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2017 GOAL $6,411,186
Village by the numbers
Village North
351
Village South
2889
Average attendance
4660
Average attendance in fall 2016
+818
Growth since fall 2015
Grew from 5
to 8 services
Village
Langley
What does Sunday take? OVERALL
408 667
people, on average, serve each Sunday.
1420 Average attendance
Average attendance
Each Sunday the people of Village Church work together to make eight services happen across three sites. Here is a snapshot of how many people volunteer each week, and how many more opportunities there are for more to use their gifts and abilities to reach people with the gospel. SOUTH
NORTH
L ANGLEY
229
39
133
average volunteers
average volunteers
average volunteers
390
74
182
preferred number of volunteers
preferred number of volunteers
preferred number of volunteers
preferred number of people to make each Sunday happen.
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SERVING AT V I L L A G E
You make it happen “Village Church has been built on the sacrifice and ownership of all of us together.” We are a mobile church. And we believe that the church is made up of the community of God’s people on mission together to make disciples. The church is not a building, or a program, or a staff. That is why, since the very beginning, Village Church has been built on the sacrifice and ownership of all of us together. We can only live out our mission in this city, nation and world if everyone takes responsibility to do their part in reaching people for Jesus. That is why we rely so heavily on our volunteer teams, from storytellers in Village Kids, to backstage techs in production, to parking attendants who help each guest as they arrive.
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It takes all of us to be the church we are called by God to be. It also means that we share in the mission together through giving financially. God doesn’t need our time and our money to carry out his will, but he choses to work through his church. It’s a beautiful thing: God doesn’t ask us to sacrifice our time and our money because he needs them, he asks us to sacrifice because we need to develop his sacrificial character in our own lives. If you aren’t currently serving with one of our volunteer teams, or contributing financially to the work God is doing, this is the time to step up and live out the important role God has for you in his church.
“I enjoy being a part of an incredible production. It never ceases to amaze me how everything comes together every Sunday and then clears out as if we were never there. That doesn’t just magically happen. There are hundreds of volunteers that serve every week to make what we see every Sunday happen. It also goes without saying that being a part of something that God clearly has his hand on is pretty special. Serving and connecting with others strengthens our foundation and enables us to grow as a church and a community.” Jay Martel
“My family and I started going to Village Church a few years ago and had no plans to be involved in anything. We simply came to check it out and have somewhere to go every Sunday. However, after the first couple of services we attended, we quickly felt moved to volunteer. We have met wonderful friends along the way and found serving God and his church to be incredibly fulfilling. I encourage anyone who is interested in serving to just go for it. God has given us all something special to contribute to this community and his kingdom!” Justine Balasabas
“ At a church this big it’s so easy to become a consumer. Consumers don’t help move the church, or the mission of Jesus forward. Jesus calls us to be doers, not consumers. If you’re finding it hard to connect or build relationships, serve! For us, serving at the Connect Desk and leading a Community Group allows us to build those more intimate relationships, even amongst 4000 plus people.” Kyle & Samantha Enns
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Life together VILL AGE COMMUNITY GROUPS
123
Village Community Groups
256
Community Group leaders
1500
2017 Goals
150 groups
316 leaders
2000 people attending
people attending Community Groups
“Since going to community group, I have witnessed such an incredible transformation in myself and others by growing in relationship with Jesus through discussion and vulnerability amongst a group of young adults I now consider family. When I joined my community group, I was an ex-drug addicted criminal who had recently found redemption and a new beginning at Village Church through the grace of Jesus. I remember being welcomed with open arms and embraced by the members of our group despite my past. I quickly learned that although I had been through a lot in my life, that old me was dead and gone and I now knew not only who I was but Whose I was. I had this new desire to seek God’s will for my life, and I just felt different. Community group has been pivotal in my journey over this past year and a half. It is not merely a once a week social club but a safe place to learn, share and grow together. I am so thankful for the friendships I’ve developed and the testimony of Jesus Christ through community group.” Aaron Heggie
Aaron’s young adults Community Group gathers in Cloverdale
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LOCAL & GLOBAL MISSIONS
From our cities to the Nations. This year we sent our first missionary family from Village Church! Mark and Rachel Bright and their three daughters moved to Mahajanga, Madagascar to serve alongside nationals at a maternity clinic. We also supported missionaries in India, Nepal, Australia, Hawaii, Greece, France, Uganda, Thailand, Burkina Faso and closed access Nations. Village Global sent over 40 people on short-term trips to support partner organizations. We supported sustainable projects and needs through Nationals in Haiti responding to educational and medical needs, and the effects of Hurricane Matthew, in India through IJM and the Golf tournament rescuing one thousand individuals from slavery, in Nepal through resourcing and equipping local pastors, in Guatemala working in poverty alleviation and education in rural villages, in Pakistan responding to the devastation in Lahore, and in Syria responding to the crisis in Aleppo. This year we also added a Global Mission
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Director to our staff to help expand our capacity as a church. In 2017 we’re excited to continue expanding Village’s global engagement. We are increasing the number of short-term trips to better support and encourage our long-term missionaries and strategic partners, and to have opportunity for more than 100 people to go. We will be sending our first Village Youth and Village Young Adult teams on trips. Our goal is to increase the culture of serving externally at Village Church, both globally and locally, by creating opportunities for people to use their skillset and experience how Jesus is at work in other cultures. This is an area we feel the need to invest in. We have 13 long-term missionaries serving in 11 different countries. We are also continuing to support the efforts of International Justice Mission Canada, Dalit Freedom Network, Empower Ministries, Dusty Sandals, and Food for the Hungry Canada.
Village global
Being on mission in our own city is important, but so is reaching people throughout the world with the gospel. Here’s where Village Global will be focusing resources in 2017, and where we’ve been in 2016.
2016 trips 2017 trips
Local mission In the coming year we want to expand our partnerships with local organiziations.
• BMO Marathon - Surrey Memorial Child Adolescent Psychiatric Stabilization Unit
These are the great local organizations we worked with in 2016:
• Summer Hampers for Community Care Program
• Young Life Student Ministries • Christmas Gifts for Holly Elementary • Weekend Food Program for Families of Holly Elementary • Alberta Wildfire Relief – Fort McMurray • Mackie’s Place – Youth Social House • Wagner Hills Recovery Centre • White Rock Fire Victim Relief • Mercy Ministries • Monarch Place – Hampers & Supplies for Christmas
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Slaves working at a brick factory in Chennai, India
Driving change 2nd ANNUAL VILL AGE CHURCH GOLF TOURNAMENT
On September 1, we partnered with International Justice Mission (IJM) to hold our second annual Village Church Golf Tournament. The opportunity to impact lives was staggering. IJM asked us to help them free and rehabilitate 1,000 slaves in Chennai, India. Slavery is a global problem that many wrongly believe no longer exists. But forced labour and sex trafficking are major industries all around the world today. Our goal was to raise $250,000 in order to fund this amazing and life changing work. But through the hard work of so many volunteers, and the generosity of our sponsors and guests, we were able to raise over $425,000 in one day to help defeat this horrific evil. Village Church is committed to having an impact globally, to bring God’s justice into the world around us, and be a voice for those who suffer. That is why we continue to partner with organizations like IJM, so that we can bring the hope of God’s love and justice into the broken world around us.
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$438,670 raised for International Justice Mission
1000 slaves rescued & rehabilitated
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Teaching the Word.
One of the most important ways we accomplish our mission of making fully devoted followers of Jesus is through teaching the Bible. It is amazing to see how God has used the Village preaching ministry to help reach and disciple so many people both locally and globally.
SERMON REACH
3.5 million sermon plays online this year, in
62 countries including USA, Great Britain, Finland, Germany, Russia, Spain, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, China, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mexico, Philippines, Ethiopia, South Africa
S E R M O N I M PAC T
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“Because of the Marriage Series my husband and I forced ourselves out of our comfort zones to deal with things we’ve been terrified to face. Some of the issues I’ve avoided for 19 years.
My co-worker gave her life to Jesus at a Village Women event, and another friend who is an atheist came to the baptisms and he’s continuing, with an open heart, to ask if Jesus is the way.
In these last couple months, the Spirit of God has been moving so tangibly in and through my family. I shared about God with a woman and I opened up to listen to her emotional pain and also shared transparently about how God is working in my life, in my heart, and in my family.
Words cannot express how excited we are to see God at work in and through us, and through Village Church.”
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VILL AGE YO U T H & Y O U N G A D U LT S
“I go to Village Youth because Jesus transformed my life through this ministry a few years ago at a retreat. This is a place where I not only get to hangout with so many amazing people, but freely get to worship the God that changed my life. I’ve experienced God in many ways at youth. The most consistent ways would be during worship or prayer. Every week we gather to praise God and worship his son. What I love about worship is that it’s not about us getting to feel his presence, but rather it’s about worshipping him and giving the glory to him! I get to experience God through praising him, but also in prayer.” Reed Wiens, Grade 12
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478
average attendance at regular Youth and Young Adult events
Right: The Collective gathers monthly for young adult services Left: Tuesday night Youth services
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VillageU interns in a lecture led by Program Director, Victor Maynard
VILL AGE U INTERNS
The Village ministry centre has become fuller, busier and a little crazier with ten Village U interns now in the mix. Village U launched in September 2016 and is now in full force. In fact, the immediate level of ownership we’ve seen from the interns has been inspiring. Each intern is positioned with a chosen ministry department and within the first week or two, interns have been driven to give above and beyond their program expectations. There is an excitement from them to be a part of the Village Church vision. Whether volunteering to drive a truck at 6:00am or spending a free day to create kids crafts, they’ve moved beyond meeting a program’s requirements to a genuine love in serving the mission of our church. Not only have we seen interns grasp the urgency and mission, but the variety of classes Village U offers has challenged and provoked the interns’ understanding of theology, which in turn, has resulted in a few of them already sensing a personal calling. One individual feels a strong sense to continue pursuing church ministry, and another has discovered a deep passion for biblical studies, in which she has already applied for bible college for after her time in VillageU. This is something we have been praying for from day one! We are excited to see how spending a year in mentorship, ministry training, and theological study has provided and refined a sense of calling for a life full of serving Jesus.
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New for 2017
V ILL AGE IMMERSE GR A DUAT E PROGR A M • 4 year program • Master’s of Divinity (MDiv) • Hands-on ministry experience on the Village team • Developing future Pastors
VILL AGE KIDS 2016
701
kids per Sunday on average
613,224 fishy crackers eaten this year
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Above: I Am A Woman Bottom left: Baptisms at the Women’s Retreat Bottom right: Women gather before the Heart Soul Mind Strength event
VILL AGE WOMEN 2016
• Heart Soul Mind Strength • Mom’s Night Out • James Bible Class • Women’s Retreat at Rockridge Canyon • I Am A Woman • Mom’s Cafe • 25 Women’s Community Groups
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VILLAGE SOUTH SURREY
VILLAGE LANGLEY
VILLAGE NORTH SURREY
S U N D AY S AT V I L L A G E
Three campuses, one mission. You are the church. Join with what God is doing in our city, country and world in a greater way this year. 33
People wait to be baptized backstage at the Langley Events Centre Easter Sunday, 2016
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