Pilgrim Church

“Why am I Needed at Church?”  with Zach Yaciw

This message revolves around the metaphor of the church as a body. It emphasizes that every individual within the congregation plays a crucial role, just as different body parts have distinct functions but are essential for the body's overall well-being. The sermon underscores the importance of each person's unique gifts and contributions in building a vibrant and harmonious church community.

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Zach currently works at Fellowship Pacific serving churches across BC & Yukon. He received his Master of Divinity from Northwest Baptist Seminary in the Immerse program in 2020. Zach lives in Cloverdale, BC with his wife, Lauren, and daughter, Daisy. They attend Village Church in Langley, BC. On Sundays, when football season is in full swing, you can find Zach watching NFL football with friends after church. When football season is not happening, he is consoled by his cat Eevee.

“Ferocious Faithfulness”  with Ryan Guerra— Ephesians 5:15-20

*note: due to technical issue, recording is not complete*

“Jesus and Ambition”  with Kristen Maynard — Luke 18:1-8

In a culture that tells us to work harder, be better, be smarter, accomplish, and achieve more, how does ambition intersect with our faith? What does Jesus say about ambition? Join us as we dive into Luke 18:1-8.

About Kristen:
Kristen grew up in the Lower Mainland, serving at various churches. She led the worship ministry at her local church for a few years before joining the team at Village Church in 2014 where she now serves as the Workshop Director. She’s a keen and avid learner, driven by the desire to serve Jesus wherever he leads. She holds a Masters in Worship Studies and is currently pursuing her graduate certificate in Spiritual Direction and doctoral degree at Fuller Theological Seminary.

Ryan Guerra

It’s easy to think of following Jesus as a simple life decision. However, Jesus makes it very clear that there’s a serious cost involved in choosing his path. Join us this week as we look at three interactions Jesus has in Luke 9 through which he expresses the challenge there is in living a life dedicated to him.

“A Reconciling Community” with Joshua Liem 

— Luke 4:5-8, 16-21

AM

The Church has been called to take action and to move towards reconciliation between herself and Indigenous Peoples.  What went wrong, and how did we get here?  What holds us back?  And, most importantly, what are Jesus-followers supposed to do about it?  Join us this Sunday as we look at history, Scripture, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  

“A Gospel-Centered Community”  — Luke 19:1-10

Ryan Guerra

"People never change". Is this common statement true? While it often does play out that people don't change dramatically, the message of Jesus is in complete contradiction to this idea. In Jesus we find the hope that we can change and that our lives can be radically different because of his transformative work.

"An Empathetic Community" with Ryan Guerra - Luke 19:1-10

Pressing pause on our own interests in order to discover the interests and opinions of others is incredibly challenging. Fortunately we have a great example of how to do this through Jesus. This week we look at Jesus' interactions with a tax collector named Zacchaeus to learn how we can grow as an empathetic community.

“Loving Those We Don’t Agree With”  with Jessica Chan

— Luke 18:9-14

“In my work on campus, I am often sitting across the table from someone and we just can’t agree with each other.  Sometimes the topic of discussion is closely tied to who we are, and the conversation gets emotional.  I am always asking myself,

‘how can I love those I disagree with?’”  

Jessica lives with her husband Felix and three  daughters.  She's an artist and an art teacher.   For the past 15 years she's been working with Power to Change, mostly on the campus at the University of British Columbia.  Jessica loves to write historical fiction loosely based on her own family history.  She is currently a student at Regent college and thoroughly enjoys learning new things about Jesus!

“A Household of Holiness” with Graham McCarthy — 1 Peter 2:4-12

September 3, 2023

What does it look like to be a Christian?  what does it mean to have a Christian identity?  Jesus has told his people to be in the world, not of the world (John 17:16), but what does that look like?  We will be looking at our identity as Christians, and looking at how we can look like Christ together, so that when someone sees us, they can say "this person must love Jesus."

Graham has attended Pilgrim Church for nearly four years now.  He is engaged in a home church, he plays on the worship team, and you will recognize his big laugh whenever the preacher says something funny.  He received a Bachelor's in Christian ministry from Prairie college in 2015, and an MDiv from Carey Theological college in 2021, He has been serving at Vancouver's Union Gospel Mission since 2017, where he constantly gets roasted by Vancouver's sassiest kids.  Currently he's also undergoing some chaplaincy training with Providence health care. 

You can often find him riding around town on his bicycle and gloating about how much money he doesn't spend on gas, and performing occasionally at the improv centre on Granville Island, trying his hardest to make people laugh with varying results.

“Don’t Quit Yet” with Guest Speaker Rev. Dr. Raymond See Toh
Jeremiah 20:7-18
10:30 AM
Are you tired? Feeling burnt out? Discouraged with ministry? Don’t quit just yet. Maybe God is not done with you. Join us this Sunday as we explore Jeremiah 20:7-18.
Raymond was born and raised in Singapore and went to high school in Australia where he came to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. After completing mandatory service in the Singapore Armed Forces, he heeded God’s calling to pursue theological training. Raymond has a Bachelor’s degree in Theology, a Master's in Christian Studies from Regent College, and a Doctorate of Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary. Raymond served as a Youth Pastor in Singapore and as an Associate Pastor in North Vancouver before coming to Cornerstone. Raymond also serves as an Executive Member of the B.C. Baptist Association.
He is married to his college sweetheart, Rhema. They are blessed with two daughters, Abigail and Sarah. He speaks English, conversational Cantonese and Mandarin. He loves to theologize movies and a good book. He is a passionate Liverpool F.C. supporter.