I just had one of my favorite conversations of the last couple of weeks. I got to spend some time with my friend Mark. I first met Mark when he was in grade eight, and he was a punk! No seriously, I had to kick him out of youth group for awhile. If you live in one of the houses behind the church and experienced the ding dong and ditch escapades of the mid 2010's then you probably know Mark too. A lot has changed since those days I first met Mark. He experienced some hardship, I got to lead him to express his own desire to move toward Jesus and then I baptized him. I never could have guessed it the day I met him, but God has called Mark into full time ministry. He interned with us here at the church and now is serving in a director role in the city. Today as I heard about how Mark is working with his own students, as he experiences life as a new dad, I was struck with a deep thankfulness for our church. I reflected on the continued generosity of our church family and the continued kingdom impact we have had because of it. Your faithful support doesn't just have an impact on the day to day ministry of our church, it has significant impact into the future. Now as Mark leads his own family and ministry, he is teaching me a thing or two! He is now establishing his own legacy of Jesus followers in his wake. I can't wait to see how his influence grows over the years. Thank you for your continued support over this last season. I can't wait to see us back together sooner than I thought! Jeremy Cook, Senior Associate Pastor One of the unique ways you can continue to support our work together is through legacy giving. Your Legacy is about so much more than the stuff you leave behind. It is about your faith, your values, and your dreams for those you love. Your Will can be part of that legacy. A well-planned Will can be so much more than just a legal document about your estate, it can be a reflection of your life and the things you care most about. We are holding a webinar, hosted by Lorne Jackson at Advisors with Purpose (a partner of The Alliance Canada), who can help you get started. This digital event will be held on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, at 6:30 pm for a 40-minute session followed by a question and answer period. If you would like to participate, please register. Looking forward to seeing you there! Who's voice are you listening to? The number of voices that are available to us can be overwhelming and confusing with social media influencers, people weighing in on what you should do or shouldn't do, self-help books, various experts, there is never a shortage of information to help you make a decision or influence a decision. Sometimes, we are so desperate to fix our situation, we are willing to listen to the right voice to change our situation, help us make a decision or to fix ourselves. We all have a choice on who we follow and who we listen to and there are many voices out there to choose from! As humans we often think that we have the wisdom to solve our own problems and that we are all we need-if we just try harder or research more, everything will turn out the way WE want it to, but this speaks to our unbelief, and our inner atheist. Instead of quieting all the voices in our world including the loudest voice of all... our own, we ignore the voice that is always calling us and guiding us. The voice that knows us and has our best interest at heart. The voice of the Good Shepherd-Jesus. Jesus tells us what life is like when we let Him lead our life and we turn to Him for guidance. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus tells us where he wants take His sheep (us). "My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." However, there is an entire system that is "hell-bent" on creating dissatisfaction; there are millions of voices telling us that you are not good enough, or you don't have enough. Their goal is agitation and obsession, rather than peace of heart. Jesus' voice tells us to stay close and listen to Him - He will teach us how to be satisfied. He knows us by name and understands our personal complexities and realities. We are promised that we can hear His voice. All we have to do is listen. While this may sound strange, there are a few practical things that might help us determine if we are actually hearing the voice of God. A - Advice. Seek advice from other believers. That is why it is so important to do life with other Christians. B - Bible. Read God's word and get to know Jesus by reading about His life. As you begin to learn more you'll be able to discern more about who He is and what He is not. C. Common Sense. God gave us a brain for a reason so we can think about what really matters. This also prompts us to ask ourselves if what we are hearing is something Jesus would say? There are lots of voices, some good and some dangerous. Have you decided which voice is going to be the most important and which one you're going to trust? It is up to you to decide - to draw a line in the sand... out of all the voices in the world whose voice do you want to lead you? This weekend, join online service Saturday @ 7 pm | Sunday @ 10 am All messages are available on-demand to watch or listen to at your convenience. When we re-orient our lives around living and loving like Jesus, we are made new. Baptism is a celebration of this commitment and a time to share how God is transforming us. If you are ready to begin a new life following Jesus, register for the Baptism Preparation Course held online June 7 at 8 pm. This online gathering is for anyone who is moving towards baptism: whether with curiosity and questions or with intention to join the next baptism opportunity. You are welcome no matter where you're at in your faith story. Register... Baptism is planned to take place on Thursday, June 17 at 7 pm at a special evening service. Registration to attend the special service opens Saturday, June 5 at 8 pm. Watch for more information. We are thrilled to announce that we are planning to welcome you back to in-person service! In-person services will resume Saturday, June 19 at 7 pm and Sunday, June 20 at 10 am. In-person registration is required, and will open on Saturday, June 5 at 8 pm. While the option to return to in-person gathering is available, please do so only if you are ready, and feel safe and comfortable gathering again. If you feel more comfortable attending service online, online services will continue on the various platforms (online through the spac.ca/watch, YouTube, Facebook, Apple TV and Fire TV). Of course, if you happen to miss a service, you can always watch it or previous services On-Demand through the website.Not in a small group, but would like to connect? We're making space around our bonfire and wonder if you'd like to join us. This circle will be set up every Thursday evening in June. We welcome anyone who's not in a Life Group already, but would still like a safe place to connect for a while. You'll meet others connected to the church and there'll be a host present to welcome you and create conversations. Yes this is drop-in style, but pre-registration for the Thursdays you pick is needed as we'll have limited space at the bonfire. Register... All gatherings will be in compliance with Alberta COVID guidelines and adjusted as needed.