The Garden Path - Matthew 11: This weekend, our Garden Path leads us to the eighth of nine fruits of the Spirit - gentleness. This is something all of us need in these challenging times. Whenever you think or need gentleness, think Jesus. If you feel broken or bruised, God will not step on you or toss you aside. Rather, he is always there, arms outstretched, saying, "Come to me, all who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. I am humble and gentle and you will find rest for your soul." (Matt:11) Jesus is our rest, and we find hope in the everlasting arms of a gentle Saviour. Join us with expectancy, to not only receive a gentle touch, but be motivated to extend gentleness ourselves to those around us who are in need of the Saviour. Pastor Jerry

The Garden Joy - Romans 12:9-21: Have you ever allowed doubt and cynicism to dominate your mindset? You may have found yourself saying or thinking, "I'll believe it when I see it." Our world is complicated - our COVID world even more. For many, the government's decision on Thursday was welcome news. For others, it was devastating. It's so easy to lose our sense of trust. It's so easy to wonder or question whether God is truly attentive to the little details in our lives. This weekend, we'll dive into the seventh fruit of the Spirit - faithfulness. We'll examine what it looks like to live a faithful life that honours God. I'm so looking forward to seeing you online for Saturday's service, or in person on Sunday morning at 9 & 11am. Be glad, be well and be faithful. Pastor Ian

The Garden Joy - Matthew 6:10: There's been no shortage of definitions or descriptions about the concept of "the good life." We've written books on it, made movies about it, we even named an entire fitness franchise after it. But what does it truly mean to live well? We're in the sixth week of our Garden Path series, and this weekend we'll be looking at Matthew 6:10. It is my prayer that we would come out of this weekend desiring to see the world as God sees it. That we will be compelled to embrace the priorities and passions he calls us to embrace. Come learn what happens when we fully hand over all our dreams, hopes and desires to the One who gave his life for us. I so look forward to seeing you either online for our Saturday service, or in person at our Sunday services. Be blessed, be safe and be good. Pastor Ian

The Garden Joy - Luke 10:25-37: This weekend on "The Garden Path," we will encounter the fifth fruit of the Spirit-led life - the fruit of kindness. We will be introduced to an old friend we all know of, the Good Samaritan, and an Old Testament hero none of us know about, "Ebed-Melek, the Cushite." We will learn about the power of a kind life from both of them. There are myriads of studies that prove that acts of kindness dramatically increase the quality of life for both the giver and the receiver. It's my prayer that we will be inspired to more deeply depend upon the Spirit, who pours out kindness in our lives, and that this gift will flow more frequently and intentionally out of our lives. Random acts of kindness are good. Intentional acts of kindness are even better! It will be a blessing to worship and reflect on God's presence and purpose in our lives together this weekend, either online or in person at 9am and 11am Sunday morning. Be blessed, be safe and be kind!

The Garden Joy - The Book of Genesis: Lord, give me patience, and give it to me NOW!" It's a prayer that we've probably thought of, and maybe have said. Patience is a commodity that we desperately need, but at times find it so difficult to discover. This weekend, we will dive into the fourth fruit of the spirit, the Spirit of Patience - sometimes called Forbearance. Our journey will be anchored in the story of Joseph from the book of Genesis. We'll talk about what happens when patience is lacking, and what happens when patience is discovered. We will do so in the shadow of the communion table, as we remember the One who embodied patience and trust - more than anyone else ever has. It will be great to see you in person if you can come to our service on Sunday, or to visit you in your living room online. Be blessed, be safe and be well. Pastor Ian

The Garden Joy - John 14:25-27: Peace in chaos. How have the last six to seven months been for you? One thing after another? Is disruption creating chaos in your home, your workplace, your neighbourhood? Let me ask you a question: if you could, what would you rather have? External peace or internal peace? It's a loaded question - because neither creates the other. But, internal peace can withstand external chaos. This week we're talking about peace as a fruit of the Spirit. I invite you to listen in. Jesus never promised external peace. What we're navigating now is a disruption of our normal. But no matter the chaos, Jesus promised peace accessible in him. We're going to look at that this weekend. Pastor Andrew

The Garden Joy - Philippians 4: One of Aesop's fables, the story of Androcles and the Lion, ends with the moral "gratitude is the sign of a noble soul." There is something powerfully attractive and soul-enhancing in being grateful and being around grateful people. This weekend from Phil. 4, we will examine the second manifestation of the Spirit's work in our lives - the fruit of joy. Whether you join us online this weekend or live in our Sunday 9 and 11am services (please pre-register!), we will give thanks to God for all his goodness, and we will explore a pathway to deeper joy together. Have a blessed Thanksgiving, and may our hearts be filled with the goodness of God in our lives. Be safe. Be blessed, be grateful.

The Garden Path - Galatians 5:22-23: Theologians say one of the critical capacities that reveals us being created in the image of God is the ability to make choices in life. Many of the choices are mundane and trivial, such as, what will I have for breakfast? Can I wear socks with sandles? (the answer is no). But others have much longer lasting implications. A good friend of mine constantly reminded his kids: "Show me your friends and I'll show you your future." These kinds of choices truly shape our destinies in significant ways. But there is one choice that matters more than any other in life: "What will we do with Jesus?" This choice has both eternal and temporal consequences. In many ways, this choice ultimately shapes every choice we will make in life. We are beginning a new teaching series that will take us through the next nine weekends. It is called "The Garden Path," and in it, we will dive deeper into the nine fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5. This weekend we will touch on "love." Together, we'll set the context for how these fruit can become increasingly evident in our daily lives, as we'll consider the second most important decision in life - what we will do with the Holy Spirit, and will we allow him to direct our paths? It will be a great weekend, and you may want to read our text before church: Galatians 5:16-25. Whether you are able to join us in person at 9 or 11 am Sunday, or tune in online, I so look forward to worshipping our great God with you, and allowing him to speak into our stories. Regarding the in-person worship experience, please know we are doing everything we can to create the safest environment for you. It would help us if you pre-register and it is a remarkable joy for us to be together! Be safe. Be blessed and let's learn more about love this weekend! Pastor Ian

Dreams and Visions - Eph. 3:1-21: I'm old enough to remember the days before "self-service" gas stations emerged. We called them "Gas Jockeys" (or when they wanted to appear to be important: "Petroleum Transfer Engineers"). At the time, self-serve stations began to emerge, and people weren't sure they liked the idea. It seemed like a way to eliminate jobs and for gas companies to make more money. Yet what happened at the gas station took off in our culture. Other industries started adapting and cutting positions. Personal Banking arrived, which largely eliminated the need for tellers. Drive-through restaurants eliminated the need for servers. Automatic car washes emerged. When I was young, I woke up at 6am and ran milk to houses for the local milkman during summer. At the end of the day, he would pay me 50 cents and a pint of chocolate milk for my efforts. (I haven't thought about that for decades!) In so many ways, the self-serve industry has become the defining metaphor of our culture. We so often focus on serving ourselves and our agendas. Jesus taught a very different life approach in Matthew 20, and we will consider it this weekend. Whether you pre-register and join us at church this weekend or watch online, may our hearts be open to the transformational message that the truly great life is one invested in God's plan to change the world. I love gathering together!

Dreams and Visions - Galatians 5:13-15: No one would be surprised to learn we live in a "me first" world. Looking out for number one is a common mantra, and we all know how to count! This weekend we dive into the third pillar of our mission statement - the call to "reach neighbours." Jesus clearly, consistently and compellingly taught that the greatest life is one that serves others. We are truly called to be a "for others" church. In a world that mandates physical distancing, we'll spend some time from Galatians 5 focusing on what it means to love our neighbours. I do look forward to seeing you in church or online. If you plan to join us in service, remember to register to speed up the welcome process! Be safe, be blessed and be a blessing! Pastor Ian