2014 iiconnect spring newsletter

Other things that revive my passion to serve in kids’ ministry include experiencing God in my personal life, seeing the kids respond to the lessons and being so excited to help, seeing others persevering in ministry despite difficulties and reading stories about people who step out in faith.

(That’s the librarian side of me.)“

For those who may experience “burning out” in serving situations, Melanie has these tips to share. “Ask God to help you examine your heart and actions to identify what might be causing you to feel burnt out. Often I discover that my weariness is due to a habit that needs to be changed, unaddressed issues in other areas of my life or a wrong attitude.

Constantly praying on my own and having others pray for me is also

Why You Should Go To EDGe

by Sabrina Li 10 reasons why you should go to fellowship (in no particular order): 1. Play crazy games (e.g. human whac-a-mole) 2. Make friends and bond!

3. It’s easy to forget about God in our lives during the week. Having fellowship at the end of each week on Friday nights is a great way to remember His presence.

4. There are many opportunities to serve God 5. Learn more about God and His love 6. Hang out with amazing leaders who are always there for you 7. To spend time with other brothers and sisters in Christ who might be going through similar difficulties in life 8. A great way to get non-Christian friends introduced to Christ 9. Become stronger in faith 10. It’s fun! Just do it.

April / iiConnect / Page 8

crucial in getting me out of a slump.

I find it’s important for me to recognize that serving is not about my own comfort but is a spiritual battle where fighting really does get you tired. “ Melanie also sheds some light on the mystery of what exactly JCKidz stands for. “No big story,” she says.

“It means Jesus Christ Kids. Why the Z? Because it seems cooler.“

EDGe (“Elim, Daniel, and Gideon Experience“) has a very special place in my heart; every year I learn so many important lessons and skills that I can take with me in my spiritual walk and use to glorify God! As a high school student, it is very comforting to have something fun to look forward to at the end of each week, where I can spend time with friends and do crazy things.

Some of my best memories were made at fellowship.

When I started going to Elim Fellowship, I did not go very often because I was busy on Friday nights. My relationship with God was pretty fragile. I began going on a weekly basis when I was in Grade 9 at Daniel Fellowship and although I felt a bit shy at first, I couldn’t help but have a blast every Friday. It felt as though God was really bringing me closer through fellowship and I could see Him and experience His great love through the people there.

After making the decision to get baptized, I felt the need to put my faith in action and just as I entered

connect

VCBC English Congregation Newsletter

April 2014

Gideon Fellowship, there were so many different ways to serve God and to give back to Him for all that He’s done for me. I joined the SLT (“Student Leadership Team“) and helped out with the Gideon worship. It honestly makes me so happy to be able to use what God has given me to serve Him! Small group time in fellowship is always awesome; it is a chance for us to know others at a deeper level and to talk about life. It feels good to be able to listen to others and have them listen to you in return. I stray from God quite easily and having this time never fails to pull me back to Him again.

Fellowship is one of the things that helped me grow closer to God and I often feel filled with joy and an urge to serve when Fridays draw near. God shows me something new every week whether it is right in front of me or something more subtle that surfaces later on.

GO TO FELLOWSHIP!

PASSIONATE. COMMITTED. GENUINE.

IN THIS ISSUE On Challenges

By Rev. Don Gardner

1-2

On Hong Kong Churches

By Sam Chan & Wesley Lui

3-4

On Winter Conference

By Caleb Tse & Katie Tse

5-6

Melanie and the JCKidz Machine

By Chris Cheung

7-8

Why You Should Go To EDGe

By Sabrina Li

by Chris Cheung 8

PUBLISHER Vancouver Chinese Baptist Church

PASTORAL STAFF Don Gardner Johnny Lo

iiConnect PLANNING TEAM Alison She Christopher Cheung Cindy So Henry Cheung Jeff Jung Wayne Yu

Have you experienced a God moment recently and want to share?

A “God moment” is an experience in which God has shown Himself to you, through a trip, a story, a new revelation from His Word, or just an ordinary encounter. We’d love for you to share it on iiConnect! Email Jeff congregational_life@vcbc.bc.ca

DESIGNER Cindy So

EDITORS Alison She Chris Cheung

PHOTO CREDITS Chris Cheung Alfred Au

Melanie and the JCKidz Machine

Vancouver Chinese Baptist Church 7474 Culloden St. Vancouver, BC V5X 4K2 www.vcbc.bc.ca/english www.facebook.com/vcbcenglish

Every Sunday as you make your way downstairs after service, you may have noticed the rapid transformation of the basement.

Walls instantly appear. Carpets are rolled out. Colourful games and comic books are snatched up by children. At a welcome desk, Melanie Au (second left in the photo) watches over all operations. She runs around with large boxes with hidden surprises inside. She leads the children to yell at you to go to Sunday school.

Welcome to JCKidz. If you have trouble remembering when Melanie first started serving with JCKidz, you’re not the only one.

“It’s been so long I can’t quite remember,” she says. “I started out leading singspiration when I was in grade eight or nine. Back then, the program was called Primary Worship.“ JCKidz is a well-oiled machine with faithful helpers. Many have gone through the program themselves with fond memories.

Among them are Evan and Zech.

“They were so keen on helping create our PowerPoint that they sent me multiple reminder emails during the week!” says Melanie.

All lessons are hands on and interactive. Matt, Theo, and Ben once taught a science-themed lesson using real cow kidneys and intestines.

During the 2010 Olympics, JCKidz welcomed a torchbearer as a guest speaker and reenacted the relay by marching around the church property singing O Canada at the top of their lungs. JCKidz also has a sponsor child in Uganada, and one lesson centered around some background regarding child soldiers.

experience is quite different. “I don’t get always get to build a relationship with the kids because I don’t see all of them on a regular basis. I also can’t be as open about my faith – whereas I get to indoctrinate – I mean, teach God’s word – to all the kids here at church.

I do try to remember though, that all my interactions with the kids can have spiritual significance wherever I am. Oh and, I get paid at the library.“

“When one child heard about how children were taken from their homes by the army, he burst out, ‘That’s so mean!’ It struck me how simple and right a child’s perspective can be. If only we adults could view things this way we’d cause so much less hurt.“

Among a few other adults who serve at JCKidz is none other than “Auntie” Rosita, Melanie’s mother and long-time Primary Worship veteran. “She gives me lots of ideas,” says Melanie. “Most of the time I discover that she’s not only open to my crazy ideas, but hers can be even more extreme.“

One of Melanie’s favourite lesson units was on the armour of God. “We held up two flags at the front: one representing God’s side and the other representing Satan’s side. As I was teaching, I noticed all the kids moving around and was going to tell them to pay attention when I realized they were all trying to move over to the side with God’s flag! At first it was just really funny to me, and then it suddenly became a powerful visual that filled me with a deep sense of hope. Perhaps the kids will continue to choose God over Satan’s lies as they got older. “ Melanie works with children during the week as a librarian, but the

There are always ups and downs for those who serve in a position for a long time. “There have been times when I’ve felt very tired and discouraged, but the weekly snacks at JCKidz keep me going,” she laughs.“ Just kidding.

The thing that keeps me going no matter what is God’s call to serve – regardless of what happens or how I feel, I know it’s what I am supposed to do. continued on page 8

April / iiConnect / Page 7

Having been at VCBC for a grand total of 12 weeks, I surely know all that there is to be known about life in Vancouver and VCBC, true? Well, this is obviously “not true“, but I can say that these couple of months have been both exciting and challenging as I've been surrounded by some wonderful brothers and sisters who are redefining their goals and plans for us to all move forward in service to the Father! What I've found at VCBC is that I am certainly not alone in my personal challenges in life but I am also not alone in knowing that I am surrounded by brothers and sisters who want to see us all be successful with the lives that God has given us!

Today, I am thankful to be free to give a greeting in our Lord's service that can come from my heart in saying that I see great days ahead for the family of God here at VCBC. We will have our issues and days of questioning but we'll also return to our foundational Kingdom Dreams and the Lord will give us strength to see great things happen in our midst. I've always called myself a “realistic optimist” with a desire to see beyond naive understanding whilst balancing any perspectives with a positive and expectant viewpoint. This is my dream and expectation for VCBC's upcoming years as we seek God and watch him work beyond our abilities and limitations!

Blessings to you all.

On Challenges

By Rev. Don Gardner Challenges and struggles in life are nothing unusual but are seldom viewed as things we seek out or desire. For some strange reason, people seem to think that life should be smooth and without difficulty but, in fact, it is through our daily points of stress and apparent random experiences that we grow and learn. As each person faces unique daily issues, each person develops into a special and unique individual capable of handling matters with their own approach and mentality. On the other hand, as groups face similar tests or trials in life, the group may learn how to function as a body or team as they gather to evaluate and protect that which they believe to be important. continued on page 2

April / iiConnect / Page 1

As we think of Jesus, he certainly didn't have a “smooth or stress-free life experience” while he walked this earth! In the life of Jesus, we see one who daily was required to deal with constant change, constant criticism and evaluation, constant pressure, the need for focus, the need for wisdom, the need for prayer, etc. Indeed, Jesus is our model and he models anything but a life of comfort, order, or indecision! Jesus models one who desires to be of “significance” with His life.

His values and goals are integrated into the core of his being so that whatever he faces daily is not threatening to His purpose. His identity is so clear that He spurs us forward to be equally bold and courageous in knowing our life's purpose.

Over the past many months, our church has had struggles and matters of great disappointment come our way. How individuals have responded is not something we can be responsible for but, as human beings, we are sometimes saddened to learn that people respond very differently from what we would have hoped. Some persons have dropped out. Some persons have held on. Some persons have been hurt. Some persons have hurt others. Some persons have lost their joy. Some have found as a body of newly renewed strength in dependency in Christ alone!

We gather imperfect believers to become servant leaders with our lives. We gather to take on the task of reaching out in Christ's love to others.

While Jesus was an individual model for us to follow, the church that Christ founded, his family, is a corporate consideration for our discussion. The Scripture says that Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.

Yet, we can see that a number of the books of the New Testament were written to try and correct problems and issues that had arisen within that very church.

They had problems with false teachings, interpersonal relationships, immoral actions, church power struggles, and virtually any issue we can imagine. Yet, Christ loved the church! Just as is true for individuals, life is not smooth for the church either. Some persons will be disappointed that the church is not a perfect place where a simple and perfect life can be found. Yet, I am reminded that the church is a “spiritual hospital” where Christian individuals unite in commitment to the service of the Father. We gather as a body of imperfect believers to become servant leaders with our lives. We gather to take on the task of reaching out in Christ's love to others.

In life, we can't control the responses of others towards issues or circumstances but we must learn to remain on task for the life God has given us.

People will often disappoint us and their actions may influence our understanding of Christians but we must remember that Christ is our “standard” and we are here not to observe other weaker witnesses but to serve as a loving model for others and be an active encourager to those in need. Jesus was consistent as He presented what it was like to walk through even the most difficult of times. We have a life as individual Christians and we have a life in the corporate form of the Church.

It is in our deepest days of challenge that we potentially may provide the greatest impact for our Lord's cause of love and witness. We must choose how we will respond to life's realities. Do we surrender to the temptation to blame others or feel sorry for ourselves or do we follow Christ and His Church by “pushing on through” the difficult days to grow into a stronger and more experienced body and witness? The integration of our faith within our lives is not optional for either the individual Christian nor for the corporate body, the Church. We choose, daily, who we really are.

Pastor Don is our new English Lead Pastor since January.

April / iiConnect / Page 2

On Hong Kong Churches Samuel Chan, or more popularly known as “Sam Gor C” (top left in the photo), a former secretary and member at VCBC, set out for Asia last summer with a plan to work in South Korea. However, God’s plan brought him to stay in Hong Kong, where he is currently living with extended family members.

Not too long after Sam left, Wesley Lui (top right) headed to Hong Kong for an internship at a local law firm. Adventures were inevitable.

Both wanted to join a local community of faith, and with VCBC’s roots in the Hong Kong church scene, Sam and Wesley’s wanderings led to many interesting stories.

Behind the Scenes

By Sam Chan I’ve been going to VCBC as long as I remember, which I believe is as early as grade 4, but some people tell me otherwise.

I haven’t gone to another church for any extended period of time. I would often visit a church for maybe one week, at most two weeks, so I never really experienced a different church before. Thanks to Wes for tagging along, really. It’s an experience going to a church through a friend of a friend’s recommendation and to be initially recognized by name only.

Churches I visited were mostly large churches, but the one here at Tai Po was a small one. It’s actually very different from going to VCBC’s English Congregation of 200-300 people to a church that has less than 100 people, women and children included. The first thing I noticed was despite not having much of a worship team, the congregation still really worshipped and it was very encouraging.

Through the half year I am here so far, I feel like I went back into the past and saw what VCBC might have possibly gone through during its early years. It brings things to perspective and I can see how much God has grown VCBC. continued on page 4

April / iiConnect / Page 3

We joined their young adult Sunday school group which consists of less than ten people, teacher included. We had such a great time as this group was very warm and welcoming. They incorporated us despite how random it was that we showed up. Well, we weren’t that different since there were some members who came back from the UK after school. This group and the church is such a blessing from God as he prepared the little things that let me and Wes end up here in which the circumstances could not be coincidence but only of his doing.

From my church experiences, I realize how important being welcoming is. It takes a lot of effort and I still find it hard to welcome people who are newer than I am. But really, when you are put into a group of less than ten, you really have to let it go and be yourself in front of these total strangers, hopefully more often than not, and you’ll become great friends who can be real and share about how God is real in your life with each other.

Stranger Eyes

By Wesley Lui

My first day at a new church was a lot like my first day in high school. It was a bright and sunny autumn day, and I was walking beside my friend Sam into a large building that I had never seen before, along with people I had never met. Joined by a steadily flowing stream of strangers, our task that morning was to sit in a chair, listen to someone talk, and hopefully learn something. Except that instead of a teacher, we had a preacher; instead of desks we had folding chairs; and instead of carrying

physical burdens inside we brought spiritual ones instead. The one thing that did not change was nervousness. I remember thinking: “How am I going to fit in?“

Like it or not, the church is a social place. It is a space for believers to regroup at the end of the week, debrief their experiences to each other, and enjoy each other's presence.

Depending on an individual church's internal dynamics, it can become very easy for newcomers to “slip through the cracks “. Unfortunately, it seemed to me that large churches were more prone to this, like the giant fourstorey church I attended for a while on Hong Kong Island. Because of the size of the congregation, nobody noticed a few fresh faces in the crowd. A lack of Sunday School classes after services aggravated the problem, but thankfully, I did end up making some friends through mutual acquaintances there. That being said, I do not think I would have gotten to know anybody had I come alone.

The second church I went to was a lot smaller, situated in Tai Po. Recommended by a friend of a friend, I was brought there by a friend of a friend of a friend, recognized by name alone ( “Hey, are you Sam and Wes? I'm Matt!”). Gladly, it did not stay that way. This church was much smaller (around 100 people), and we were welcomed as newcomers almost right away. A young-adult Sunday School class also helped us get to know other people in the congregation our age, and invited us into their circle of friends quickly.

Communication was tough because of my language barrier, but people are still people, and in the end God provided me with a loving community regardless of my geographical area!

April / iiConnect / Page 4

On Winter Conference Caleb and Katie Tse (second from left and far right) are siblings from Kelowna who came here to the big city to study. They have ties to our church through Okanagan Chinese Baptist Church and have met many VCBCers throughout the years who served in their faith community, VBSes in particular.

One faith tradition the Tses and other OCBCers have kept up with over the years is their attendance at the Canada Chinese Christian Winter Conference, or Winter Con. Both love the excitement of connecting with all types of Christians and have much to say about the experiences they have had.

Connect, Impact, Multiply

By Caleb Tse Connect. Impact. Multiply. These were the themes of the 2013 54th CCCWC held in the Sheraton Hotel in Surrey.

They are simple yet profound callings that mirror the Great Commission found in the Bible: a call to change not only our world, but also the communities and families. The conference focused rebuilding bridges, reconnecting ourselves to who we are as children of God, works in progress, and communities reconnecting with each other be it generational, cultural, or between churches - as well as to a broken world. We have seen and heard about the end of Christendom and have experienced the apathy that is slowly taking over churches as the pressures of the world continue to overwhelm it. Conflict between brothers and sisters, over vision and direction, and between leaderships have left countless churches broken and on the verge of collapse.

The 54th Winter Conference was in part a rallying cry for the Chinese church in Canada, a reminder that we are a single unified body, one that still holds relevance today.

In fact, it may be said that we are more important than ever. The delegates were reminded of these fundamental points in the opening ceremony when Tom Blackaby proclaimed that we live in a culture that is growing increasingly desperate to find a sense of connection. It is a connection that can only be found in a Christ-centered church, which is not just a building but a network of caring, spirit filled people, who are held together by love (Ephesians 4:15).

The rest of the main talks focused on reconnecting the delegates to God and His purpose in their lives and the process of continually seeking to better ourselves for Kingdom purposes, instead of becoming content with the status quo. Symposiums were held to discuss how best to bridge the generational and cultural gaps that have blighted the churches and are partially to blame for the exodus of young adults from the church. Above all was the heart cries throughout the conference to tear down walls and see our churches, our fellowships, and the world in a different light. Hundreds of voices joined together to proclaim that we were tired of the sheltered religious lives of our buildings and that it was time to once again mobilize Christ’s body to do meaningful, Kingdom-orientated work; to no longer be focused only on ourselves or our private communities, but to seek God’s heart and to see what we have missed in our times of complacency. continued on page 6

April / iiConnect / Page 5

We may not see the battle or understand how to best fight it, but as a conference we proclaimed that it did not matter, that our infighting ultimately did not matter, but by faith we would rise up and reverse the flow of a generation. The passion of over five hundred hearts were expressed through the song “Tear Down the Walls” by Hillsong United and I encourage you to find it, listen to it, and let the Spirit reveal to you a portion of what can be accomplished. The church needs to continue to reach beyond itself, to mentor younger and future generations, and go build disciples for the future.

Connect. Impact. Multiply. A calling, a vision, and a mission of a body that remains relevant and crucial in a world that has forgotten its calling, to worship in spirit and in truth. How will VCBC respond? “Connect. Impact.

Multiply” will also be the theme for the 55th CCCWC and I urge you to consider joining the discussion and contributing to a desperately needed movement. We can no longer move forward as a single entity, but need to reconnect with the rest of the body. Feel free to find me and inquire more about Winter Conference. May God continue to work in our church as we seek His will.

Running the Race

By Katie Tse Going to Winter Conference has been a huge blessing in my life. Through each of the phases in my life, God has been teaching and speaking to me in different methods and ways: through the sermons, through worship, through fellowshipping and connecting with other Christians.

There’s irreplaceable value in sharing and hearing other people’s stories about their own walks with God. Through these phases, it almost seems like God has something new to teach me or remind me of that I’d forgotten. Growing up in a small church, we didn’t have

worship on Sundays for the English side. Worship is such a beautiful way to express and to respond. It was during camps and conferences that I was exposed to new songs, lyrics that resounded with the awe that I felt about God’s love for us and the struggle coupled with desire I had in surrendering my life to Him. I don’t know exactly when I had accepted Jesus as my Savior; whether it was earlier in my childhood or if it was that year in grade 8 at winter conference. The theme that year was “Finishing the Race – Our Challenge and Our Crown” and I remember the message that night was about whether we were running the race or sitting on the sidelines. The question was whether we were running the race for ourselves or if it was simply because we grew up in Christian homes. I remember wanting to run the race, wanting to run because of God’s love and not simply because it was something that I grew up in. I remember leaving that conference wanting to bring worship back to my church, but I had forgotten only to be reminded at SYC in the summer after.

Meeting Christians from different backgrounds and histories are pretty amazing. Every night we have Bedside Fellowship where we can talk about what we learned that day and what’s God been doing in our lives. There was this one year where we consistently talked until 12 or one in the morning even though bedside was supposed to end around 11. Everyone had different types of personalities, but no one was overshadowed. Everyone was able to express their own opinions, their pasts, their struggles without fear of judgement. Through the atmosphere of safety and authenticity, we were able to share what God has taught us through the struggles and share our individual experiences.

Every year, it feels like God reminds me of His endless love and how He challenges me to trust in Him more.

It’s something that I’m still struggling in my walk with God, but I find encouragement and am reminded through the people, the songs and the message that I hear when I go to Winter Conference.

April / iiConnect / Page 6

IN THIS ISSUE On Challenges

By Rev. Don Gardner

1-2

On Hong Kong Churches

By Sam Chan & Wesley Lui

3-4

On Winter Conference

By Caleb Tse & Katie Tse

5-6

Melanie and the JCKidz Machine

By Chris Cheung

7-8

Why You Should Go To EDGe

By Sabrina Li

by Chris Cheung 8

PUBLISHER Vancouver Chinese Baptist Church

PASTORAL STAFF Don Gardner Johnny Lo

iiConnect PLANNING TEAM Alison She Christopher Cheung Cindy So Henry Cheung Jeff Jung Wayne Yu

Have you experienced a God moment recently and want to share?

A “God moment” is an experience in which God has shown Himself to you, through a trip, a story, a new revelation from His Word, or just an ordinary encounter. We’d love for you to share it on iiConnect! Email Jeff congregational_life@vcbc.bc.ca

DESIGNER Cindy So

EDITORS Alison She Chris Cheung

PHOTO CREDITS Chris Cheung Alfred Au

Melanie and the JCKidz Machine

Vancouver Chinese Baptist Church 7474 Culloden St. Vancouver, BC V5X 4K2 www.vcbc.bc.ca/english www.facebook.com/vcbcenglish

Every Sunday as you make your way downstairs after service, you may have noticed the rapid transformation of the basement.

Walls instantly appear. Carpets are rolled out. Colourful games and comic books are snatched up by children. At a welcome desk, Melanie Au (second left in the photo) watches over all operations. She runs around with large boxes with hidden surprises inside. She leads the children to yell at you to go to Sunday school.

Welcome to JCKidz. If you have trouble remembering when Melanie first started serving with JCKidz, you’re not the only one.

“It’s been so long I can’t quite remember,” she says. “I started out leading singspiration when I was in grade eight or nine. Back then, the program was called Primary Worship.“ JCKidz is a well-oiled machine with faithful helpers. Many have gone through the program themselves with fond memories.

Among them are Evan and Zech.

“They were so keen on helping create our PowerPoint that they sent me multiple reminder emails during the week!” says Melanie.

All lessons are hands on and interactive. Matt, Theo, and Ben once taught a science-themed lesson using real cow kidneys and intestines.

During the 2010 Olympics, JCKidz welcomed a torchbearer as a guest speaker and reenacted the relay by marching around the church property singing O Canada at the top of their lungs. JCKidz also has a sponsor child in Uganada, and one lesson centered around some background regarding child soldiers.

experience is quite different. “I don’t get always get to build a relationship with the kids because I don’t see all of them on a regular basis. I also can’t be as open about my faith – whereas I get to indoctrinate – I mean, teach God’s word – to all the kids here at church.

I do try to remember though, that all my interactions with the kids can have spiritual significance wherever I am. Oh and, I get paid at the library.“

“When one child heard about how children were taken from their homes by the army, he burst out, ‘That’s so mean!’ It struck me how simple and right a child’s perspective can be. If only we adults could view things this way we’d cause so much less hurt.“

Among a few other adults who serve at JCKidz is none other than “Auntie” Rosita, Melanie’s mother and long-time Primary Worship veteran. “She gives me lots of ideas,” says Melanie. “Most of the time I discover that she’s not only open to my crazy ideas, but hers can be even more extreme.“

One of Melanie’s favourite lesson units was on the armour of God. “We held up two flags at the front: one representing God’s side and the other representing Satan’s side. As I was teaching, I noticed all the kids moving around and was going to tell them to pay attention when I realized they were all trying to move over to the side with God’s flag! At first it was just really funny to me, and then it suddenly became a powerful visual that filled me with a deep sense of hope. Perhaps the kids will continue to choose God over Satan’s lies as they got older. “ Melanie works with children during the week as a librarian, but the

There are always ups and downs for those who serve in a position for a long time. “There have been times when I’ve felt very tired and discouraged, but the weekly snacks at JCKidz keep me going,” she laughs.“ Just kidding.

The thing that keeps me going no matter what is God’s call to serve – regardless of what happens or how I feel, I know it’s what I am supposed to do. continued on page 8

April / iiConnect / Page 7

Other things that revive my passion to serve in kids’ ministry include experiencing God in my personal life, seeing the kids respond to the lessons and being so excited to help, seeing others persevering in ministry despite difficulties and reading stories about people who step out in faith.

(That’s the librarian side of me.)“

For those who may experience “burning out” in serving situations, Melanie has these tips to share. “Ask God to help you examine your heart and actions to identify what might be causing you to feel burnt out. Often I discover that my weariness is due to a habit that needs to be changed, unaddressed issues in other areas of my life or a wrong attitude.

Constantly praying on my own and having others pray for me is also

Why You Should Go To EDGe

by Sabrina Li 10 reasons why you should go to fellowship (in no particular order): 1. Play crazy games (e.g. human whac-a-mole) 2. Make friends and bond!

3. It’s easy to forget about God in our lives during the week. Having fellowship at the end of each week on Friday nights is a great way to remember His presence.

4. There are many opportunities to serve God 5. Learn more about God and His love 6. Hang out with amazing leaders who are always there for you 7. To spend time with other brothers and sisters in Christ who might be going through similar difficulties in life 8. A great way to get non-Christian friends introduced to Christ 9. Become stronger in faith 10. It’s fun! Just do it.

April / iiConnect / Page 8

crucial in getting me out of a slump.

I find it’s important for me to recognize that serving is not about my own comfort but is a spiritual battle where fighting really does get you tired. “ Melanie also sheds some light on the mystery of what exactly JCKidz stands for. “No big story,” she says.

“It means Jesus Christ Kids. Why the Z? Because it seems cooler.“

EDGe (“Elim, Daniel, and Gideon Experience“) has a very special place in my heart; every year I learn so many important lessons and skills that I can take with me in my spiritual walk and use to glorify God! As a high school student, it is very comforting to have something fun to look forward to at the end of each week, where I can spend time with friends and do crazy things.

Some of my best memories were made at fellowship.

When I started going to Elim Fellowship, I did not go very often because I was busy on Friday nights. My relationship with God was pretty fragile. I began going on a weekly basis when I was in Grade 9 at Daniel Fellowship and although I felt a bit shy at first, I couldn’t help but have a blast every Friday. It felt as though God was really bringing me closer through fellowship and I could see Him and experience His great love through the people there.

After making the decision to get baptized, I felt the need to put my faith in action and just as I entered

connect

VCBC English Congregation Newsletter

April 2014

Gideon Fellowship, there were so many different ways to serve God and to give back to Him for all that He’s done for me. I joined the SLT (“Student Leadership Team“) and helped out with the Gideon worship. It honestly makes me so happy to be able to use what God has given me to serve Him! Small group time in fellowship is always awesome; it is a chance for us to know others at a deeper level and to talk about life. It feels good to be able to listen to others and have them listen to you in return. I stray from God quite easily and having this time never fails to pull me back to Him again.

Fellowship is one of the things that helped me grow closer to God and I often feel filled with joy and an urge to serve when Fridays draw near. God shows me something new every week whether it is right in front of me or something more subtle that surfaces later on.

GO TO FELLOWSHIP!

PASSIONATE. COMMITTED. GENUINE.