♪Have you ever heard a so-called “truth” once too often? Here’s one I heard recently: “being on mission is not just about going overseas as a missionary; it’s also staying home to serve God wherever you are.” Who could argue? But suddenly I had heard this one too many times. Instead of a timely truth I now saw a donkey my generation loved to flog.

♪Have you ever heard of Horatius Bonar? He was a pastor in the early 1800s who wrote 600 hymns and poems. I tried to find a relatable comparison in my life. I figure that in 13 years of marriage, I’ve probably written close to 600 grocery lists.

♪In my travels around the conference through the years, I have been part of many conversations that coalesce around certain themes. One question in particular is why we administers our own missions program, when we can and do partner with more than 20 other mission agencies.

♪I have been involved in church life for nearly 70 years, half of those years as a pastor. I love the church except for one thing: churches and pastors don’t seem to know how to disagree agreeably. Too often when a church and their pastor cannot agree on how well he is doing, separation results. But must it be this way?

♪The NHL playoffs are finally upon us, and for many of us Canadian hockey fans this is the most wonderful time of the year. Teams are now finally prepared to push all their chips and truly do whatever it takes to get sixteen wins and hoist Lord Stanley’s glorious cup.

♪At one point the title to Collin Hansen’s 2008 book Young, Restless, Reformed would have described me quite well. I was young (in my early 20s), restless (in many ways) and Reformed (drinking regularly from the well of the three Johns: Piper, Edwards and Calvin).

I love to dabble in different creative projects. Whether it’s carpentry or gardening or cooking or painting—it all brings me great fulfillment.

♪In December 2024, Canada’s (or the Canadian government’s) Standing Committee on Finance issued a report with 462 recommendations. Item 430 recommends Canada “amend the Income Tax Act to provide a definition of a charity which would remove the privileged status of ‘advancement of religion’ as a charitable purpose.”

♪We sat in an unfamiliar church, in the last row. I could see the stony backs of our young adult children a few rows forward and as I watched them, I knew that this wouldn’t be the day things would change.

November 24, 2024 marked the day when two young men from our church family chose to publicly declare their desire for baptism and membership in the Kleefeld EMC.

The country of France is known for its secular culture, its magnificent cathedrals that attract more tourists than worshipers, and a catholic religion that has diminished in importance and influence in the past 50 years. Many people are unaware of the love for God, the power of the Holy Spirit and the faith in Jesus Christ that are shining lights in communities across the country.

Spring sprang into action at Westpointe Community Church (WCC) in Grande Prairie with 18 of our youth, along with five leaders, heading to Merida, Mexico for a short-term mission experience.