ChurchLIFE Summer 2015

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THECHURCH.TO


STAFF THECHURCH.TO

Rev. Billy Richards: Senior Pastor info@thechurch.to Pastor Roger Berg: Executive Associate Pastor rberg@thechurch.to Rev. Gary Stagg: Assistant Pastor gstagg@thechurch.to Rev. Ed Clements: Assistant Pastor ed@thechurch.to Rev. Tim Crooks: Minister of Youth tim@thechurch.to Pastor Natasha Coupland: Family Pastor natasha@thechurch.to Rev. Mike Read: Children’s Pastor mike@thechurch.to Rev. Tim Cummins: Young Adult Pastor timcummins@thechurch.to Pastor Kevin Coupland: Family Pastor kevin@thechurch.to Pastor Zac Fulton: Tweens Pastor zac@thechurch.to

SUNDAY MORNING 9:30 A.M. & 11:11 A.M. WITH

PASTOR BILLY RICHARDS Worship, Kids & Tweens Programs There is a safe place for your kids, from infants through to high school, to experience God in an age appropriate setting. Check out the many age-relevant programs available during our services and at other times during the week.

Rev. Mervyn Thomas: Assistant Minister of Pastoral Care: info@thechurch.to Bev Hynek: Director, Haven bev@havenontheq.com Rev. Donny Cooze: Media Director donny@thechurch.to Rich Bodnar: Technical Director rich@thechurch.to

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1536 The Queensway Toronto Ontario M8Z 1T5 Phone: 416-255-0141 || Email: info@thechurch.to



WELCOME TO THE CHURCH Church on the Queensway

W

e are so glad that you’ve decided to spend this time with us today. All of us were newcomers at one time and we understand how being here for the first time can be somewhat daunting. We didn’t know our way around, we weren’t familiar with the procedures, and we didn’t know all the songs either! We would like to lessen that feeling for you and we invite you to participate at whatever level you are comfortable with. Please visit our Welcome Centre located just off the main lobby where you can reflect and connect.

A

s a first time newcomer we invite you to enjoy a free beverage and snack, connect with church leadership, and find out more about our Church. You will also receive a free gift to celebrate your arrival at Church on the Queensway. A Guest Services counter located in the main lobby is staffed by knowledgeable people. Please feel free to drop by with any questions you may have and pick up more information about our Church.

There is a safe place for your kids, from infants through to high school, to experience God in an age-appropriate setting. Check out the many age-relevant programs available during our services and at other times during the week.

01

Come to our Welcome Centre. Join us for a coffee, tea and snacks and let us tell you a little bit about our church.

02

You’re invited to our Newcomers Discovery luncheon. Simply complete the Newcomer card and let us know you’re interested.

03

Go beyond the sanctuary and get involved in the life of the church. There really is something for everyone at Church on the Queensway.

THE LORD’S PRAYER Our Father PERSONAL In heaven PLACE Hallowed be Your name PRAISE Your kingdom come POWER Your will be done POTENTIAL On earth as it is in heaven PURPOSE. Give us this day our daily bread PROVISION And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors PURITY. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one PROTECTION For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen. PROMISE


FRIDAY Nights 7:30 p.m. CHURCHLIFE 8 SOUTH | CHILDREN’S MINISTRY Adventure Club in the Children’s Ministry Centre Nursery, JK/SK & Grades 1-3 [Ends June 19 - Resumes September 18]

13 SOUTH | TWEENS MINISTRY Friday Nights For students in Grades 4-7 [Ends June 19 - Resumes September 18]

18 SOUTH | YOUTH MINISTRY In the Toronto Youth Centre Revolution SC is for students in Grades 8-12. 40 SOUTH & 54 SOUTH | ADULT MINISTRY Couples Bible Study, Room 102 1st & 3rd Friday Nights of the month [Ends June 19 - Resumes September 18]

MEN’S & WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY Room 102, 103 on the 2nd & 4th Friday Nights of the month, [Ends June 19 - Resumes September 18]

FYI TITHING Do you need information about tithing or tithing envelopes? Please let us know at Guest Services. SERMON CD & VIDEO Order a copy of the Sunday morning message on CD at Guest Services. Cost: $5.00 • Watch sermons through our website: www.thechurch.to LIBRARY Open Sunday mornings following both services. We have a great collection of books, CDs and DVDs. YOUTH EVENTS July 5 – 12 - ICARE July 10 - Water Fight/BBQ July 20 - Wasaga Beach/Paint Ball July 23 -31 - STM Jamaica TWEENS EVENTS June 21st - Camp-Out Lock-In July 4-11 - Tweens Dominican Short-Term Mission July 23-25 - Amplify Braeside Kidzcamp August 11 - Sports & Craft Day August 17-21 - Tweens in the City. WOMEN’S EVENTS Beth Moore is coming to the Hershey Center ON November 6-7 2015. This event will challenge and encourage women to grow in their faith. Tickets will sell out fast so don’t wait - register today! Vist the Lifeway website at www.lifeway.com for more info and to purchase tickets. $69 per person Early Bird Pricing: $59 until July 06/15

With four kids running around our house in July and August I know that summer time is certainly not vacation time for stay at home parents! That’s why Summer camps and programs are not only wonderful opportunities for our kids to meet new friends and try new things, but they also give moms and dads a much needed break. We are happy to make summer a little more enjoyable for the whole family by providing exciting and affordable day camps where kids have an absolute blast! Our Performing Arts Camps have professional instructors who would love to see your kids in the spotlight. All experience levels are welcome. Visit CPAcentre.org for more details.



RECIPE FOR ANSWERED PRAYER ~ Marianne Novoselac In our kitchen, we offer up regular servings of prayer. It’s

Praising God transforms our perspective and releases His

the one thing that always satisfies. Much more than grace

power in prayer. A missionary to China learned the power

before our meals, shared prayer is a daily staple that can

of praise in a grave situation. Suffering from smallpox, the

work as a quick fix for an urgent need or as an all day simmer,

doctors gave her no hope. Quarantined, unsightly smallpox

spending the day communing with God. Three tried and true

sores covering her, she sought the Lord fervently and

ingredients—promise, petition and praise, combined with a

He gave her a tangible solution. In a vision, she saw two

measure of active faith, make our prayers go a long way!

baskets, a full one containing the trial or smallpox and the other one only half filled with her praise. The Lord told her

The Bible, where we find all of God’s promises, teaches that faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not yet see. Believing God’s promises are for us stirs up our faith, as the Holy Spirit reveals God’s love toward us and His intense desire to do good for us. 2 Peter 1:3-4 explains: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that

to praise Him for faithfully keeping His Word and promised that her healing would come when the praise basket outweighed the trial basket. So she sang and shouted praises to God, despite her dire symptoms and opposition from those who thought she had become delirious. After several days, she again saw the picture of the baskets, but this time the praise basket was full. Her healing suddenly manifested and she walked out of quarantine completely whole, her childlike skin without even a trace of scars.

through them you may participate in the divine nature …”. Follow this simple recipe for answered prayers: Jesus showed us how to petition our Heavenly Father for our daily bread through persistent faith. Petition aligns our hearts and minds to receive God’s promises. Like the desperate woman who knelt and cried out for Jesus to help her daughter, who was suffering terribly, we receive healing as the children’s bread, or forgiveness, provision, protection, direction or whatever else we need. Oh, the peace of God, with His abiding presence, that comes while we confidently await our expected outcomes.

find

God’s promises, prepare yourself to receive through petition and pour out praise to Him. God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)


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A STRATEGY FOR PRAYER Ed Clements Prayer is something that we all believe in, but do we see the results? When people ask us to pray, how committed are we? Have you heard how God has answered prayer recently? We have seen miracles in our church as the result of God answering heartfelt prayers of His people. But if we are to see more answers to prayer, it must be done first with a strategic prayer.

• We need to know that prayer works. It is not about how much or how long we pray, but rather that prayer is happening. Scripture tells us that “the prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” James 5:16. (NRSV) That is a starting place for all of us. We can all pray, no matter what our current situation. • Consistency is a powerful way to pursue prayer. It is good to set aside time each day to have a time of prayer. However, if you are like me, it is easy to get distracted and lose focus. One tool that we have offered at the church is the prayer wheel. Broken down into 12 segments, it enables you to target some specific areas and cover a lot of spiritual ground. You will be surprised at how time moves along as you spend a few minutes in each of the sections. • Stay Holy Spirit led. Many times in prayer, the Lord will take me down a different path than I intended. I always seem to come to God with an agenda in prayer. Someone or something that I am burdened about. And after all, isn’t it that burden that draws us to pray many times? God in his gentle leading seems to say, “Yes, I know about that, but here is where my heart is concerned right now. Pray for this person, or this situation.” Often, I will pray in tongues because when I am praying in the Spirit, it is the Holy Spirit in me, communing directly with God the Father for His will to be done, with Jesus, seated at the right hand of God, making intercession. I cannot think of anything more powerful being accomplished than me allowing the Trinity to pray through me, and seeing mountains moved in the spiritual realm.

• Pray the Word. Scripture helps tremendously in this area. I might be reading the Psalms or something Jesus said in the gospels and I am taken on a scriptural and spiritual journey I might otherwise have missed. Praying the Word of God is a powerful weapon, because it is eternal. Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” (NAS) • It may help you to have a prayer partner. This is not to lay a burden on you, but perhaps it is a friend who you have shared a prayer request with in the past and either they prayed with you right then, or you trust that they will pray for you. See if they are willing to make this a more regular thing, and you need to be willing to pray for them as well. Just as prayer is a dialogue with God, praying with a friend is a give and take relationship. • I am a firm believer in preventative prayer. It is like a powerful investment that always pays great dividends. We are not aware of what may be coming our way each day, but invested prayer can help us to prepare for the unexpected. How many times have you seen something happen through your day, and thanked God for His answer to a prayer you prayed earlier? If He is the Alpha and Omega, He certainly knows what kind of day you are facing.

You may be reading this and say, this is all good, but I am the one standing in the need of prayer. One of the best resources we have here at Church on the Queensway is our weekly prayer list. You can email in a request or drop one off at Guest Services on a Sunday morning and we will add your request to this list. It is picked up by over 50 people each week, who pray faithfully for the many needs that are represented. We need to hear back from you if you are seeing an answer to prayer, so we can add a praise report to this list. There is nothing more encouraging to an intercessor, than seeing answered prayer. As well, there are several prayer groups that meet regularly here at the church. Women meet on Tuesday mornings, Wednesday afternoons and alternate Saturday mornings to pray. Men meet every Wednesday morning for prayer. Wednesday night we have a Bible study and prayer meeting for everyone in the Room 102. We are hungry to see God move in our time, in our community and in our lives. Strategic prayer is an important part of this happening. If we can be of more help to you in this area, please let us know.


EVENTS GUIDE

01

June 19 Tweens Party

June 19-21 APEX Montreal Trip

“Lock-in” at the Church

Tours, Dinners and More

03

June 23 Haven Golf Tournament www.havenontheq.com

04

05

06

June 28 Celebrating Canada with Fireworks

July 4 Garage Sale

July 4 Blood Donor Clinic

Support our Single Moms

It’s in you to give.

07

08

09

July 11 Shredding Day

July 16-19 Vacation Day Camp

August 7-9 Family Camping

www.havenontheq.com

10

02

Register online today

Trip to Elora Gorge


MAKING THE CONNECTION There is a place for you here.

There is a safe place for your kids, from infants through to high school, to experience God in an age appropriate setting. Check out the many age-relevant programs available during our services and at other times during the week. For more information regarding these programs please visit our website: www.thechurch.to

8 SOUTH - CHILDREN We provide care for babies and toddlers ages 1 month - 35 months during both our services. Get your children involved in great programs on Sunday mornings. Pre-Kindergarten, JK/SK and Super Church for grades 1-3. 13 SOUTH - TWEENS For students in Grades 4-7, our Tweens ministry meets on Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. and 11:11 a.m. and again on Friday nights at 7:30 p.m. for crazy fun that only tweens can understand. 18 SOUTH - YOUTH If you’re in Grades 8-12 you’ve got to be a part of Revolution Student Communications. We meet Friday nights at 7:30 p.m. for our main event. 30 SOUTH - YOUNG ADULTS Join the Hub, our young adult connection on Sunday nights at 6:30 p.m. in a coffeehouse atmosphere. For more information connect with the Hub online at www.thehubya.ca 40 SOUTH - ADULTS 40 South is one of our newest ministries and geared towards younger couples and families in the 31-40 age range. Participants are invited to attend the Couples Bible Study on Friday evenings @ 7:30pm, and/or individual Men’s and Women’s Bible Studies from September to June. There will also be other special events planned this summer to encourage relationships with other couples while building faith in Christ. 54 SOUTH - ADULTS Get connected with people in the 41-54 age range through our various activities. Participants are invited to attend the Couples Bible Study on Friday evenings @ 7:30pm, and/or individual Men’s and Women’s Bible Studies from September to June. There will also be other special events planned this summer to encourage relationships with other couples while building faith in Christ.​

55 NORTH - APEX The vision of our ministry is to actively and enthusiastically follow Jesus’ example of loving and caring for each other and our community. 71 NORTH - SENIORS We have a dynamic group of mature men and women who dare to call themselves “Seniors.” We host lunches, trips, Bible studies, small group events, and ministry outreach to other seniors in our community. SEGUE SINGLES Creating a caring Christ-centred environment, where singles can meet, fellowship and support one another with the focus of reaching out to the community. WOMEN’S Through our different programs and events women will be challenged, inspired and encouraged to be all that God wants them to be. MEN’S Our various activities, events and groups are all geared towards helping men come together for times of fun, fellowship and teaching with the goal of becoming the spiritual leaders God has designed them to be.

NEW BELIEVERS Our First Steps & Next Steps classes are for those looking to learn more, grow spiritually and continue on the path of discipleship. HOME GROUPS There are a number of home groups that are actively meeting. If you would like to become involved, please pick up a home group flyer or simply visit the church website for more information. QUEENSWAY DEAF FELLOWSHIP We have sign language interpretation available during the 2nd Service on Sunday mornings. HAVEN ON THE QUEENSWAY Offering free and confidential services to those in need in our community. For more information visit: www.havenontheq.com MISSIONS We Go, We Send, We Pray! Church on the Queensway is actively involved in both local and overseas missions. There are also a number of short-term missions trips planned throughout the year. SUPPORT GROUPS There are a number of groups available to help provide support, guidance and insight. We are here to help.

WORSHIP If you have a passion for leading people in worship or would like to use your musical or artistic gifts to glorify God, we invite you to submit an application to the Worship Arts Ministry for an interview and audition.

BIBLE STUDY & PRAYER Join our weekly Bible study and prayer meeting on Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. in Room 102

ARTS AND PRODUCTIONS Getting involved with our productions is a great way to get to know people at the Church. If you would like to be involved stop by the box office in the Lobby on Sunday

LEGAL LIFELINE Church on the Queensway has established a Legal Lifeline. Helping the members of Church on the Queensway, their families and their friends face legal challenges with wisdom and professional direction. For information visit: qclegallifeline.com

Need more information ?

Pick up a brochure from our lobby entrance. There you’ll find specific information on each of the ministries here at the Church.



TALK AND LISTEN Kevin-Joel Coupland Prayer can be simple. Talk and listen to God. I once heard someone say that God gave us to ears and one mouth, “so use them proportionally”. This probably means that we need to listen more that actually speaking when we pray. But the problem with that is that we may already have a sense of what God wants to say to us, and quite frankly, the answer may not be what we want to hear. So the alternative may then be to fill the airwaves with petitions and requests for God to answer. But what if His answer is for you to stop, listen, and wait? As a man, this is not a terribly attractive concept to adopt. I’d much rather get up a do something. Men fix stuff, so this waiting and listening... not a particularly attractive proposition.

I guess the busyness and productivity factor also plays on the minds of many men. If we see waiting and listening and unproductive, then ya, I guess prayer could be seen as spinning my wheels. But what if we adopted a new way of thinking. What if we choose to see waiting and listening as the pathway to greater intimacy with our Creator? What if we trusted that the answer God provides, no matter how scary the answer, could actually be in our best interest? Would that change how you pray?



A VALUABLE RESOURCE ~ Ed Clements

“This generation needs to be asked questions. What was it like to look up into the sky before any rockets had ever landed on the moon?” down Mt. Sinai with the 10 Commandments written on them.) Many Seniors are our greatest resource.

Now some may take

exception to this, and say, actually our children are. Yes, they are valuable for our future, but a wise person once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” (George Santayana). Who better to learn about the past from,

of

Heston? version

you

are

Long of

asking,

ago,

Moses,

he long

who

was

is

Charlton

Hollywood’s

before

Christian

early Bale.

This generation needs to be asked questions. What was it like to look up into the sky before any rockets had ever landed on the moon, before there were satellites, and a Hubble telescope?

but those who have lived through it? They heard about the

What was it like to have to get up to change the

distant past through the storytelling of their grandparents.

channel on your TV set? And if you had 10 channels

This rich oral tradition has been going on since bible days.

to

choose

from

that

was

something

amazing.

Those who make up the dynamic group of Church on the

Ask them what the family dinner hour was like when

Queensway seniors, offer incredible wisdom, insight, reflection

they said grace, and people knew their neighbours.

and encouragement to every generation that will come after.

There are many young people who are not geographically

Who else do you know that helped to build and

or spiritually close to their families. The blessing of

establish our nation, lived through a world war, felt the

intergenerational ministry is that our seniors can pour

impact of the baby boom, survived the oil crisis of the

wisdom and encouragement into them, and the younger

1970s, and much of what we take for granted today?

generation can encourage the seniors to learn more about

These are the strong people who are 70 plus.

Born in

1945 or earlier, they have seen a lot of changes to be sure, but have also adapted to a rapidly changing world. In their

FaceTime and to stay on the cutting edge of technology. Mind you, many seniors have got the jump on that too. We

are

privileged

to

have

strong

connections

youth, there was no Facebook, no cell phones, no internet or

between people of all ages here at Church on the

email. When they wanted to talk, they called on the phone

Queensway. Our monthly lunches now include a team

and if there was no one home, they just called back another

of young adults that help serve, and then sit with

time. If the line was busy, that just meant call back later. Mail

seniors to talk and share.

was something that Canada Post delivered right to your door. Not that any of them are complaining about the advent of these wonders of technology. Much of it makes life simpler and quicker. It’s just that the art of communication has changed so that face time is now something done on your tablet, rather than sitting on a couch in your living room, over a cup of brewed or instant coffee. (Bytheway, a tablet used to be something Charlton Heston carried

We

can

all

learn

so

May their tribe increase. much

from

each

other.

Let’s open the door to see wisdom flowing both ways.

We

will

be

richer

people

because

of

it.


THECHURCH.TO CHURCH ON THE QUEENSWAY We really look forward to meeting you this Sunday. Come just as you are and feel at home at Church on the Queensway.

9:30 A.M. & 11:11 A.M.

Like us on Facebook.com/ theChurch.to

Join us online at theChurch.to

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