2020
ANNUAL REPORT
CONTENTS 01 02 04 05 06 07
vision and values lead pastor's report staff & leadership team board report changes in the church family finance team
GATHERING TOGETHER 08 worship ministry 09 prayer 10 young adults ministry 11 children's ministry 14 youth ministry 17 community groups 18 church retreat 19 sponsorship team 20 neighborhood church 22 facility management team 23 senior's lunch 23 kitchen GOING DEEPER 24 women's ministry IN THE COMMUNITY 27 daybreak point bible camp, anvil island 28 blenheim lodge outreach eyeglass 28 ministry 29 esl bible study 30 english plus 31 community meal 32 meet the need 33 missions team
VISION & VALUES Our Vission:
“To be a spiritually vibrant community, being transformed by God’s love, and extending His kingdom in our city and around the world.” We value: Being Christ-centered We pursue Jesus Christ as the model for our lives and the focus of our worship.
Being Spirit-led We depend on God’s Holy Spirit to guide, transform, equip, fill, and empower us for Christian living.
The Bible We believe Scripture to be the timeless, inspired Word of God by which He reveals Himself and His truth to us.
Prayer We experience the presence and power of the Holy Spirit through prayer, both individually and corporately.
Loving one another We provide a welcoming, safe and accepting place where people experience genuine community and extend our heavenly Father’s love in practical ways to those in need.
Transformed lives We desire to see all people experience Jesus’ transforming love, deepening their relationship with Him, and effectively living out His plan and purpose for their lives.
Unity in diversity We intentionally embrace and celebrate our diversity, woven together by God as a colourful tapestry of ethnicity, age, gender, marital and socioeconomic status.
Service We encourage and equip each other to develop and to share our diverse God-given talents and spiritual gifts in our community and the world.
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LETTER FROM OUR LEAD PASTOR Dear Granville Chapel, Once again it is my happy responsibility to report back on our collective efforts to fulfill the ministry to which we have been called. Whoever could have predicted the changes we have experienced?. Few of us imagined that as we began 2020 we were in for so many surprises! We haven’t changed our key purpose, that is to be a church that is Spiritually Vibrant, Transformed by God’s Love, and seeking to extend His Kingdom in our city and around the world. We have been seeking to fulfill our 2019/ 20 Annual Plan “Greater Things” and in September we began our 2020/21 Annual Plan “Mobilise(D) for More.” The impact of the pandemic has been immense. Our ability to gather has been severely curtailed, and we have had to adapt, and roll with the varying changes and limitations as they have occurred.
While our large gatherings have been non-
existent, other than on our livestream screens, we have had to find ways of meeting that are safe and properly distanced. We managed lots of outdoor events in the summer (remember the picnics?) but clearly a BC winter is not optimal for outdoor meets. But the essential life of the church has carried on. Our Board have become very familiar with zoom. Our staff have adapted to working from home, and have learned creative ways to accomplish their tasks. Our many volunteers have continued to lead, to gather remotely, and to bless and encourage others in all kinds of ways. This report documents some of that.
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Our staff have continued to serve in meaningful ways. Susan Robertson continues to lead in KingdomKids, Women’s ministry and ESL. Mike Bennett continues as our Youth Pastor, and in September he added Young Adults to his portfolio. David Morgan served as our Worship and Young Adults Pastor for the first part of the year, and in September he carried on under the new title “Pastor of Worship and Creative Media” a change which reflects his changed role as live-streaming has become such a key focus. Paul Williams continues as our Executive Pastor, helping to manage the staff and develop our capacity for missional outreach. In the office it has been a year of changes. Ellen Wiggins served as our full time administrator for the early months of the year before moving on in the summer to begin study at Regent College. In September we reduced the office hours, and Lillian Wang stepped in for a short time. Then Laura Campbell took on the role for the last few months of the year. On the intern front, Max Janssen and Kiara Bennett were our youth interns from January to June, when Kiara stepped down. From September Daniel Rae and Max Janssen have been the youth interns, and we have added Jerusha Lieow as a Young Adult intern, and Christine Leung as an intern with kids and ESL. We also hired Jonatán Vila to help 8 hours a week on video editing. Board Chair Jan Quiring has continued as our part-time bookkeeper. I hope you will take the time to read the collection of reports here, and rejoice with us in all that God continues to do through his people at Granville Chapel. Warmly in Christ,
Few of us imagined that as we began Andy Perrett
2020 we were in for
Lead Pastor
so many surprises!... But the essential life of the church has carried on.
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STAFF & LEADERSHIP LEAD PASTOR Andy Perrett EXECUTIVE PASTOR Paul Williams YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT PASTOR Mike Bennett WORSHIP & CREATIVE MEDIA PASTOR David Morgan CHILDREN’S MINISTRY Susan Robertson ESL MINISTRY Susan Robertson WOMEN'S MINISTRY Susan Robertson
OFFICE Ellen Wiggins (Until July) Lillian Wang (Sept-Oct) Laura Campbell (Oct-Dec) Leidy Calderón de Vila (Mat. Leave until Dec. 2020) CUSTODIAN Danny MacIver (Part-time until March 2020) CHURCH ACCOUNTANT Jan Quiring BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sydney Archer (Secretary/Treasurer) Vivian Chow Andrea Corbett Wayne Elderton Rebecca Janke Matthew Kloeble (Vice-Chair) Andy Perrett (Lead Pastor) Jan Quiring (Chair) Gustavo Santos
STUDENT MINISTRY INTERNS Kiara Bennett (January to June) Max Janssen Daniel Rae (From September) Jerusha Lieow Christine Yeung COMMUNITY GROUPS INTERN: Neil Rogers (left June 2020)
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BOARD REPORT The Board exists to: Fulfill the legal requirements and responsibilities of the Society. Establish the vision and general direction for Granville Chapel. Encourage and provide accountability to the Lead Pastor. Demonstrate spiritual support and leadership to the church. Directors also serve on various sub-teams and task forces of the Board which provide support in key areas including: finances, personnel, building, policies and procedures, communication, nominations and membership, statistics, and special projects. We do this prayerfully – seeking the Lord’s plan and direction for Granville Chapel with wisdom, discernment, grace, and unity. Board of Directors: Sydney Archer (Secretary/Treasurer) Vivian Chow Andrea Corbett Wayne Elderton Rebecca Janke
Matthew Kloeble (Vice-Chair) Andy Perrett (Lead Pastor) Jan Quiring (Chair) Gustavo Santos
The board meets monthly and didn’t miss a beat when the pandemic began, quickly adjusting to meeting by Zoom. We also managed to successfully hold both the spring Annual General Meeting and winter Extraordinary Meeting virtually; it was encouraging to see everyone’s faces flooding the screen, but we eagerly await the day when we can gather together in person again. Throughout the year, the board has worked to support Granville’s vision and direction, encourage new initiatives, and consider the challenges and opportunities of the pandemic and post-pandemic church. Please pray with us for clarity, discernment, and wisdom as we look ahead to all that the Lord has for His church. Jan Quiring, Board Chair Granville Chapel Board of Directors
Thank you for entrusting us with the privilege and responsibility of serving as Directors of the Board.
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CHANGES IN THE CHURCH FAMILY BIRTHS Ardolyn Hazel Raen Morgan Micah Isaac Kloeble
BABY DEDICATIONS Mateo Samuel Vila Calderón DEATHS January 17th – Ruth Cummings August 26th – Vivian Wakeford September 17th – Cam MacIntosh December 29th – Ward Gasque
NEW MEMBERS Olivia Remillong Tsz Long Yeung (Christine) Jerusha Lieow
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FINANCE TEAM
Dear Granville Chapel, 2020 was an unusual year, but the Lord provides! As a community, Granville Chapel adapted quickly to the realities of the pandemic and has been flexible with many aspects of our church, including through our finances. Though the pandemic has meant many aspects of our ministries have had to look different, there were also some new opportunities from a capital perspective, such as using some of the restricted building fund to refurbish the wood panels in the fireside room, front foyer and sanctuary as well as refinish the sanctuary’s hardwood floors (both projects would have been very disruptive while the building was in use). Replacement of the rotted front main doors also began, along with the conversion of the library into a dedicated prayer room. Significant investments were also made in the fall in our audio visual equipment and stage lighting in order to improve the livestream worship service and be well prepared for future hybrid church gatherings (which we are greatly looking forward to!). We are grateful to God for the generosity of the Granville Chapel community. Our revenue for the Dec. 31, 2020 fiscal year was $868,028 (General Funds, Restricted Funds, and $36,633 from the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy). This, despite all of the turbulence experienced throughout the year, is reflective of the steadfast and generous giving of the church. On the expenses side, we ended the year at $785,023, which was slightly less than the budgeted $803,265. This was mostly due to reduced overhead, administration support, and building usage due to the pandemic. We were able to continue support of our mission organizations and missionaries as well as keep most our church programs running, albeit in an adjusted manner. Overall, this means we finished the year in the black for which we are extremely thankful given the circumstances! A full and detailed financial review of 2020 will be provided at the spring Annual General Meeting. For now, we are looking forward to seeing how God will continue to work in this unique time and are praying for how He will lead us next. I would like to thank Andy Perrett, Jan Quiring, Liz Becker, and Barry Jung for their work on the Finance Team. As was announced in the fall of last year, I have stepped in for Rupert Campbell as Treasurer and chair of the Finance Team and have benefited greatly from all of their support. Sydney Archer Board Treasurer and on behalf of the Finance Team
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GATHERING TOGETHER
WORSHIP & CREATIVE MEDIA MINISTRY 2020… what can I say… it was quite the year! For me, 2020 was full of opportunity, experimentation, and an endless amount of learning (both personally and professionally!). In March, along with the rest of the world, we pivoted our liturgies into various online and socially distanced modes. At the same time, Chandehl and I became parents in April, welcoming Ardolyn Hazel Raen Morgan joyfully into this odd pandemic world! In August my role at Granville officially changed, Mike Bennett taking on the Young Adults portfolio, while my title changed to “Worship & Creative Media Pastor” to create space for exploring worship in our increasingly digital and online contexts. Throughout this year, my goal has been to truly treat the changes we have been faced with as opportunities for growth, development, and creativity. Thanks to all who have been part of making our online gatherings possible! A special thank you to Jonatán Vila in particular who worked tirelessly throughout 2020, working with me on filming and editing our services. As we move forward we continue to place our trust in our God who is the only unchanging thing in our world. We will hold things loosely, experiment, and see what God has in store amidst our ever-changing circumstances! David Morgan Worship & Creative Media Pastor
As we move forward we continue to place our trust in our God who is the only unchanging thing in our world. We will hold things loosely, experiment, and see what God has in store amidst our ever-changing circumstances!
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PRAYER Prayer continues to be our “vital breath” in terms of communication with the Father. Despite our own limited vision, we are invited in to pray with, and for , God’s Kingdom to come, and for God’s name to be exalted. Especially in a pandemic, we have continued to pray.
24/7 Prayer We enjoyed another week of 24/7 prayer in the Lounge in January. Ellen Wiggins was a key driver in making this happen . Once again we had almost all of those timeslots filled. This year we followed this up with special prayer days each quarter, and again we had good response, as people prayed from their homes.
Sunday prayer Our usual pattern of prayer ministry after the sermon each week held up until March, when the pandemic bit in earnest and we had to move to livestream. Despite some attempts made, it proved challenging to provide personal prayer ministry over zoom, and we decided that community groups were the most appropriate places for ongoing prayer.
Prayer at the Foot of the Cross Continues to meet to pray Wednesdays at 7.00am. The year started normally enough, but then we discovered the joys of Zoom in March. Together we continue to intercede for the world, the church, and our community. We are a small group, but welcome all who come. Why not come and check us out one Wednesday?
Beyond these formal groups, prayer happens in most of our community groups. We continue to run a confidential prayer chain, which mobilizes prayer for crises and challenges as they arise. If you would like to be a part of this, please contact Andy or Paul. If you would like to spearhead a new or different prayer initiative, feel free to contact Paul or Andy. Andy Perrett Lead Pastor
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YOUNG ADULTS MINISTRY I was given the role of leading Granville Young Adults in August 2020. Working with college aged young adults blends well with my past years of InterVarsity ministry experience so adding this piece to my role at Granville has been a fun learning curve. David’s transition out of the role during 2020 helped him to dedicate attention to worship and production of online services at Granville. From the outset of this decision, David and I partnered well as we worked together on a smooth transition. Also in August 2020, we welcomed Jerusha Lieow onto the Granville Chapel staff team as a Young Adults ministry intern. Jerusha is working on her Masters of Divinity at Regent College and this internship falls under her Supervised Ministry course. Jerusha comes to Granville Chapel with a strong ministry calling and a background uniquely suited for the role. She recently served Young Adults over several years in her church in Singapore. She also comes from a missionary family in Malaysia and so has grown up deeply rooted in ministry values and practices. I found that starting in this new ministry role together with Jerusha as a qualified and experienced ministry partner was a big boost. In September, we held two outdoor worship gatherings at David’s home to welcome Granville Young Adults back into the community after the summer. Following this we managed to hold another small worship gathering indoors at Granville Chapel before the restrictions changed in late October. Two Community Groups re-started in September and Jerusha and focused our efforts on resourcing them. The groups met on-line with Zoom with varying results. Jerusha and I decided to create bible study question guides for these groups which followed the fall sermon series. This helped the members engage with Sunday on-line services and build community at the same time. We discovered that engagement with Sunday on-line services is not strong or consistent across the Young Adults community, but the addition of ways to connect to it with other people helped raise engagement. Jerusha took on leadership of the younger community group of university students and seeks to support them through the ups and downs of student life. Our work with Young adults focuses on building relationships that help them seek the Lord. They are a community at a crossroads of many life decisions; schooling, careers and choosing lifelong relationships. I notice that those who are older young adults have found more ways to thrive and connect, whereas those younger ones in university or freshly graduated struggle more and many don’t naturally remain connected with us. So we keep offering them connection points, we go out looking for ways to deepen relationships with them. We aim to be a community wrestling together with how to hold onto Jesus as our guiding anchor in the midst of the stormy seas of transition. Being a church who can encourage and befriend them on this journey seems like the best gift we can give. Mike Bennett Youth & Young Adults Pastor
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CHILDREN'S MINISTRY Children's Ministry serves and encourages the children and families of Granville Chapel. Our goals are to provide a nurturing environment in which children come into relationship with Jesus Christ and grow in their walks with Him, and to support and encourage parents in their roles as primary spiritual guides and leaders for their children. Our vision statement for Children’s Ministry is “To be a spiritually vibrant community, transformed by God's love, and extending his Kingdom in our city and around the world". Although 2020 has been a year affected in many ways by COIVD-19, including a reduced ability to gather in person, KingdomKids continues in its role as our foundational Sunday morning program - on Zoom! We guide children in understanding the "big picture" of God's love for them personally, in learning about and understanding the Bible and its truth and relevance to them, and in understanding what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus, and to follow him.
Our KingdomKids team of leaders is a smaller group this year, as we have not had multiple groups of children in classrooms on Sundays, but a number of folks have participated in different ways in 2020. Whether it is attending our weekly KingdomKids Meet Ups, writing cards to children, helping to create or dropping off care packages to families’ homes, or praying for children and families folks are involved and engaged in this ministry.
This continues to be a ministry about "showing" God's love and "telling" the Good News and to children of all ages - babies through elementary school-aged children. We want children to feel loved, as a reflection of Jesus’ love for them.
God has not been thwarted by the pandemic! There have been new opportunities to get to know the children and parents in a different way this year, and to serve families as they have journeyed through a very challenging time.
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A few highlights from 2020: We are so thankful for the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, our Helper and Guide, as we continue on in this ministry in new ways. With His help, we are connecting with children, communicating God’s Word, and serving families.
(1) KingdomKids Meet Ups: When the pandemic hit and we could no longer meet in person, we did a quick pivot and moved to Zoom for our KingdomKids Meet Ups. We met weekly, continuing on in teaching the Bible and engaging kids in this process.For a few months, we had a weekly prize program which allowed Susan to connect often with families, delivering McDonalds or Dairy Queen Ice cream to winners, or offering the ultimate prize - a walk with mini schnauzer Juno (and Susan)! This was a fun way to get to know children in a different way. (2) Pandemic Party VBS - July 7-9: Mike Bennett and Susan took a step into the unknown and revamped our VBS format, creating video content (with some wonderful helpers) that we sent out to families each morning, and then inviting children to the park in the afternoon for games and activities. Pandemic Party: Jesus Loves Us! “Hey Kids! In the midst of a pandemic, we can still have a party, because we know that Jesus Loves Us!” Jesus Calms the Storm / Jesus Cares for us Jesus Forgives and Heals. A team of Youth attended training sessions and then participated in the 3-day camp, helping create the activity schedule and then lead the younger kinds in (Covid-safe) small group activities. We had about 20-23 children (which we were thankful for, as we knew some families would not participate in “in person” gatherings at that point) and 20 Youth attend the 3-day camp! It was a lot of fun, and it was wonderful to be able to connect “in person” outside at the park! It felt great to be able to carry on the important mission of our annual VBS in a slightly different form, continuing on in sharing stories of Jesus from the Bible, letting kids know that He loves them, and having a lot of fun in the process.
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(3) Intern: From September 2020, we have had Christine Yeung, Regent College student and GC Intern, joining us in our various activities. We are thankful for her continuing contribution! (4) Care Packages: Creation and delivery of Care Packages to families at Christmas 2020, Valentines and Easter 2021 (5) Christmas Hampers: KingdomKids Families contributed toys and money towards Christmas Hampers for Community Meal families, and our weekly “offering” was used to that end. (6) Advent Films: A gifted team (including Chandehl and David Morgan) created 5 Christmas videos (mostly outside, with Covid-safe protocol!) with babies, children and youth as the actors, re-telling the Christmas story in a creative, entertaining way. These films were shared during the weeks of Advent at our online church services. Thanks so much to the team who worked endless hours putting these together. We are so thankful that God is present with us, that He sustains us, and that He keeps on moving in our lives and in our community as we engage with our new circumstances in this pandemic season. The pandemic may have changed the “how” we do things, but the “why” is exactly the same as it’s always been! Submitted by Susan Robertson Children's Ministry Coordinator
“...Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “ - Lamentations 3:22-23 Thank you to all who have been involved this past year.
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YOUTH MINISTRY During the warm lazy days of Summer 2020, planning for the ministry year ahead was anything but normal. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic felt like dragging an anchor making planning difficult at best and I was feeling very uncertain of what was ahead. It was a time to “trust in the Lord” but that was proving difficult for me. If I was feeling it, then our youth were certainly feeling it even more. But the Lord’s faithfulness has snuck up on us in quiet and surprising ways in the midst of it all giving some highlights that I’d like to share. A lifesaver for myself and for our ministry came along in the form of an invitation to join a training program through the Youth Worker Community. They are a Canadian based group of pastors with a long history of equipping youth and youth leaders. In this community I found camaraderie, encouragement and fresh inspiration to continue on in the journey of helping our young people tackle this unique and difficult days. Again this year, I truly couldn’t lead youth ministry without a faithful team of volunteers who love our kids. A huge thanks to our EDGE team: Daniel Rae, Francesca Turner, and Sophie Lim. A huge thanks to our HUB team: Max Janssen, Leon Lin, Arman Fallah, and Kiara Bennett. Its been my pleasure to invest in them as we meet to pray, read and study together, and to creatively plan events and new ways to connect with kids. Some leaders moved on this year after serving faithfully: Rhonda Poulsen, Nathalie Janssen, Tallia MacIver, and Nina Janssen. Having a flow of adult leaders in and out of our youth ministry at Granville is a huge sign of health that I see. This year Daniel Rae joined the EDGE as our Intern. He brings creativity and commitment in this role. Max Janssen carried on for a second year as the HUB intern. Its a real gift that Granville invests in an internship where we can raise up the next generation of servants in the church. They are growing in leadership, teaching, and mentoring as they pour hours into the lives of our youth.
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During this year, I want to acknowledge that the parents of Granville Youth have been on the front line of youth ministry! This year has highlighted for me the central role parents play in the shaping of their youth into adulthood. But in saying that, the teen years are a time where the village of others makes a huge difference in the spiritual lives of teens. Giving support to Youth and Parents has felt very important but also very difficult during this time. My driving goal for our youth and leaders team continues to be Spiritual Formation - becoming lifelong apprentices to the way of Jesus. Statistics bear out the truth that kids who have been formed spiritually while young through belonging to Christian community, taking risks of faith, attending camps and missions trips where their real questions can meet real answers become lifelong followers of Jesus and members of his church.
The Edge Our Junior High ministry includes kids from grades 6 to 9. The summer and fall season allowed us to host some gatherings outdoors as a way to keep the kids encouraged and in community. As restrictions forced us indoors, we established some new rhythms on-line to keep the EDGE connected. Sundays became our time to gather on Zoom after the morning services where we taught from the bible, and socialized by playing on-line games. Ask any EDGE youth or leader and they will admit to playing more hours of Skribble.io (a drawing and guessing game) than they care to admit. Zoom attendance ebbed and flowed a lot during the year, so we had to try our best to punctuate these times with some special events. At Christmas we hosted a special party where they opened a gift bag that was delivered to their home, played some games and made the best of the season. In February, I was able to invite Ben Woodman from Alpha Canada to an on-line Zoom hangout where our youth asked all about the making of Alpha, and where Ben shared from his heart about God’s plans for us as his children. As we near Easter, warmer days mean more options to meet outdoors again. A few of our EDGE youth are choosing baptism this spring and its been a joy to work with them towards that with the help of Marlene Perrett and Francesca Turner acting as mentors on the journey.
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The Hub Our Senior High ministry includes youth from grades 10 to 12. This is a diverse group of kids from many high schools in Vancouver and Richmond. We also began the fall season with some outdoor gatherings. Friday nights the guys continued meeting outdoors with our leaders to visit and pray together. Soon the cold rainy nights forced them indoors where they met using an app called Discord as a space to chat, pray and play on-line games. Reading YouVersion Bible plans together was a new tool that helped some youth stay connected. Some of the HUB girls accepted an invitation from Kiara to meet bi-monthly for a devotion and journaling time - sometimes at a coffee shop and other times on-line. The HUB has struggled with the lack of in-person connection and have been less attracted to on-line meetings. So, I have needed to learn about on-line engagement using Instagram. I’ve posted videos and messages to the group as a way to stay engaged in a small piece of their on-line world, a part of their reality which has become very real and important to teens these days. Our leaders stay connected through texts, calls and some visits where possible. But we’ve certainly heard stories of loneliness and tiredness from the on-going pandemic. As we’ve reached one year of the pandemic restrictions it strikes me how this interruption is likely far more significant for teens than for adults regarding faith and social formation. If I asked you to imagine back to key times of growth and lifetime memories as a young person, you’d likely list off things like summer camp, retreats, staying up late chatting, having your first job, and attending your grade 12 graduation to mention a few. All of these key moments, and many smaller ones, have been wiped out for this cohort of our youth. Simply put, these are losses. Stack on top of that the fact that our youth have felt personally impacted by watching social injustice, environmental disasters, and political turmoil unfold before their eyes in the media. Youth are facing an unprecedented crisis of hope, leading many to experience symptoms of decay in their mental health. Please pray for our youth and their families as they face these discouragements and seek to be resilient followers of Jesus. Our faith in Jesus equips us for resilient faith in times such as these, but getting there is a long journey of obedience and hard work. Its my prayer that Granville Chapel Youth can be a beacon of hope on that journey. Mike Bennett Youth & Young Adults Pastor
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COMMUNITY GROUPS Community Groups of a wide variety continue to be the heart of Granville Chapel. While the pandemic has seriously impacted our capacity to gather collectively, it has not stopped the activities of many of these groups, even though much of the activity has been forced online. The fact is that we need each other, and at such a time as this, these groups have been critical survival tools for many. Broadly speaking we have three main sorts of groups. DNA (Discipleship, Nurture and Accountability) groups are small, usually 3 -5 people, with the main aim of encouraging each other to read the word,pray for friends, and follow Jesus. We have another category of groups that are more about Bible study and gathering for mutual support.Some of these are geographic, gathering people from an area of the city, and hopefully considering together what loving their neighbours can look like in practical terms. A third category of groups tend to meet around a particular cause or issue. This is where lots of diversity exists. From the Living Room group that meets to support those with mood disorders, to the Just Living group that seeks to raise awareness of social issues that we need to pay attention to, to our Community Meal which seeks to support local families who are experiencing challenges, there is lots of scope to extend beyond ourselves in blessing our neighbours. Our Community Groups usually have volunteer leaders that are committed to them, and who carry on faithfully through the challenges. We owe them a great debt of gratitude. It should be noted that Neil Rogers did a fine job of supporting our Community Groups in his time with us as an intern before he laid down that responsibility in June 2020. We wish him and Lucy well as they pursue God’s call on their lives to pastor the international church in Bishkek, Kirghizstan. Andy Perrett Lead Pastor
During this year, I want to acknowledge that the parents of Granville Youth have been on the front line of youth ministry! This year has highlighted for me the central role parents play in the shaping of their youth into adulthood.
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CHURCH RETREAT The Church Retreat 2020 was different - like all other ministry events that took place since March due to the pandemic! We were unsure right up until the end of July whether or not the retreat would be able to go ahead as the guidelines and numbers kept changing. During the summer we enjoyed gathering together with our church family for picnics in local parks after online church so much that we decided to incorporate that into our alternative Retreat plans for the September weekend. A plan was coming together! We organised a full Saturday of activities, which people had to sign up for in advance to maintain safe numbers and capacity for social distancing. In the morning Mark Anderson led a Zoom seminar on Liminal Spaces, then in the afternoon there were options to go birding with Andy, participate in the annual croquet tournament with Darrell in Montgomery Park, with spectators allowed and kid’s play in the same park, a youth hang out at the beach, and a possible cycle ride - though the weather called this one off unfortunately! Many people turned out for the event, and on the Sunday we enjoyed picnics in our local parks together again, and there was a hike to Cleveland Dam. All in all, the Retreat was a successful event with connections, community and coming together to grow in our faith and spiritual lives - although it did look entirely different to our usual weekend at Stillwood! Hopefully 2021 might get some of that familiarity back that we know and love, but if not, we’re confident that our community will continue to lean in, reach out and build one another up Submitted by Ellen Wiggins
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SPONSORSHIP TEAM The Covid-19 Global Pandemic has delayed the processing for all refugee sponsorship applications. The two families our church has committed to sponsoring are both impacted by these delays: 1.Dr. Juma Gul, his wife, and five of their six children remain stuck in Delhi. They are living as UNHCR Refugees in a one room residence until their paperwork can be processed and they can be cleared to come to Canada. We are at times able to connect with the family directly via one of the sons who is teaching himself English. The funds already donated are sitting in our account awaiting their arrival. 2.Hiwot Kidane’s and her son, Minas,’ sponsorship application has been submitted and accepted by our Sponsorship Agreement Holder, World Renew. Due to immigration delays we have been told to not expect further news until sometime in 2022. Mother and son are presently living in Addis Ababa, having fled Eritrea in February 2019 due to religious persecution. Living conditions in the refugee camp were untenable so family members in North America are supporting their living costs in Addis Ababa. We know from news sources and personal account that Eritreans are increasingly not welcome in Ethiopia; this is of particular concern as 13-year-old Minas is unable to attend school and they seek to live as 'unnoticeably' as possible. Approximately 70% of the sponsorship funds are already in the bank with just under $9,000 left to raise. Thank you for participating in Granville Chapel’s sponsorship efforts through your prayers and donations. Please speak with Andy, or one of us, if you are interested in being part of the Sponsorship Team, or if you have any actions or suggestions to offer to encourage and support the families during this challenging waiting period.
Submitted on behalf of the Sponsorship Team Suzanne Barclay and Beth Hankinson
We thank you for your financial gifts that will enable the families to come to Canada. And we ask that you continue to pray for their safety and well-being and for a speedy processing of their application.
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NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCH Six years ago, Granville Chapel mobilized us as missionaries to extend God’s Kingdom in the neglected Jackson Neighbourhood of Fresno, California. Since then, we have started a church community called “Neighborhood Church,” a non-profit called “The Jackson Neighborhood Community Development Corporation,” and a small business called “Neighborhood Jobs,” which disciples and job trains vulnerable teenagers in Jesus’ name. Granville Chapel has helped us understand and cultivate our three guiding values as a missionaries in Jackson. They are: Jesus + People + Place. To us, it’s about Jesus and making life-long disciples of him; it’s about People and caring for their practical needs in dignifying and empowering ways; and it’s about Place and making the systems, structures and physical spaces of our neighbourhood work towards the greater safety, health, and well-being of our residents. COVID-19 changed everything for Neighborhood Church. Like many other churches, our services moved online. Instead of complaining, we were inspired to innovate to survive the shelter-in-place crisis and deliver crucial services to our 3,300 neighbours in Jesus’ name. We believe that Jesus has mobilized us for more: more prayer, more harvest, more love of neighbours. COVID-19 was an opportunity to step up for our neighbourhood’s most vulnerable residents. This crisis created deep uncertainty for many of our neighbours—the majority of whom make less than $2,000/month USD. Many essential workers in our neighbourhood are undocumented and did not receive a stimulus check to support them when their hours and pay were reduced—so we established a relief fund. Neighbours can apply to the fund for assistance with things like rent, groceries, and utilities. In partnership with another neighbourhood-focused non-profit in the city, we recently started a wilderness program. This enables us to invest in families at a time when they may feel trapped by shelter-in-place restrictions. Though Fresno is at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, many Jackson residents have never been to the mountains. We take Jackson families on monthly wilderness trips to learn about and explore God’s beautiful creation (practicing physical distancing and wearing masks, of course). Over the course of the pandemic, many of the kids in our neighbourhood have experienced higher social-emotional-behavioral needs, and a trip to the mountains has provided space for rest, fun, and adventure, while building new relationships with staff and volunteers from Neighborhood Church.
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The virus and restrictions have inspired new ministry as we continue to make Jesus + People + Place our priority. Mordecai once spoke to a young Esther during a time of great uncertainty, saying “And who knows but that you have come to your position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). In the same way, we are grateful that God has used Granville Chapel to mobilize and support us for “such a time as this!”
Joe & Heidi White Neighborhood Church, Fresno.
Since shelter-in-place started in March 2020, we also: Delivered back-to-school packages for students at Jackson Elementary. Distributed “neighbor cards” to every resident which communicated available assistance during COVID. Established a volunteer run 24/7 emergency helpline for neighbours. Began delivering boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables to 80 families per week.
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FACILITY MANAGEMENT TEAM Granville Chapel has been closed to large groups for a full year now. I am sure I am not alone in feeling a great longing to connect, worship and serve together, when it is safe to do so. This quiet time in the building has given us the opportunity to do some amazing projects to restore and prepare our building for the years ahead. We are thankful to have a restricted Building Fund for upgrades such as these. Early in 2020, the hardwood floors in the sanctuary and the original maple wall panels were refinished and look fantastic. New chairs for the fireside room were purchased with a gift from Ruth Cummings. We are also excited to report that we have converted the library into a dedicated prayer room. The books can now be found in specific ministry areas. Lastly, we are underway with replacing the front doors, which had significant rot. You can be sure that the iconic circular windows will still greet you on your way in. Andrea Corbett FMT
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SENIORS LUNCH Senior’s Lunch only managed to meet twice in 2020, in early January and early March. After that meeting became impossible because of the Covid restrictions. When it is possible to safely gather again (presumably after everyone gets their vaccinations) we hope to be able to resume. We remain grateful to Christina Singh and her faithful kitchen crew that usually includes Marie Dowell, Judy Lerner, Rachel Woods, Heather Lim and one or two others. Thanks to all for their committed and faithful service to our seniors. It would be remiss of us not mention the huge gaps left by Ruth Cummings and Cam MacIntosh who were faithful regulars at so many Senior’s lunches. They are both sorely missed. Submitted by Andy Perrett, Lead Pastor
THE KITCHEN The Kitchen at Granville Chapel, so often the centre of hospitality and service, has been sitting quietly for most of 2020. The pandemic has given our kitchen a jubilee year to lie fallow and rest. Christina Singh, supported by Judy Lerner, continues to keep an occasional eye on the place, but apart from that we have little to report. The kitchen did serve us well for the life celebrations for Ruth Cummings and Ralph Bagshaw in early February, which were both very well attended. Andy Perrett Lead Pastor, for the Kitchen team.
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WOMEN'S MINISTRY Morningside Morningside is a gathering of women of all ages, which meets on Friday mornings for Bible study, conversation, prayer, friendship (and coffee!). We enjoy Friday mornings together, and are spurred on in our faith walks as we develop friendships and support each other through prayer and Bible Study. Our Vision is: “To be transformed by God’s love, to mature in spiritual vibrancy and to extend His Kingdom, through: Bible study, fellowship, prayer, and personal application.” Beginning in April 2020, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, we moved some of our gatherings online with Zoom. Some small groups still continued to meet, when allowed, in person at the church. During the summer of 2020, we had a good number of women continue with a program called “Summer Spots” which was simply a weekly gathering to read the Bible, have discussion, and pray together. Two groups met in parks, and another one met on Zoom. Staying connected in faith and friendship has been important to women in this pandemic season. . Starting in September we also took on a ministry, Ratanak International, to support and pray for in our groups. In October we enjoyed an evening with Brian McConaghy, founding director of Ratanak, who told us more about this organization’s reach into the country of Cambodia in the name of Jesus.
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It has been exciting to see women “dig in” and really study God’s Word. The study at the beginning of the pandemic “Be Anxious for Nothing” was particularly meaningful and impactful. The study in Galatians in the Fall provided a fresh reminder of God’ amazing grace and love for each of us. Women reported a deepening of their faith and have been thankful for the “time” to engage with God’s Word in a more meaningful way in this quieter season.
The Bible study series we worked through in 2020 were: (1) Jan. - March:“A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place Part 2 (Beth Moore) - continuing from September. (2) April - May:"Anxious For Nothing (Max Lucado) (3) May - June:“You’ll Get Through This” (Max Lucado) (4) June - August:“Summer Spots” - outdoor meetings in the park / Zoom meetings online (5) Sept. 2020 - Feb. 2021: “Paul’s Letter to the Galatians” -Timothy Keller Small Group Leaders were: Rachel Woods, Liz Becker, Susan Robertson Leaders for Eveningside: January -June: Edith Rae and Heather Lim; Sept-Dec: Edith Rae and Petra Anderson (please see their Eveningside Report) Thank you for your preparation, facilitation, prayer, and leadership!
We are thankful for God’s Word and never take for granted the freedom to study it! It is alive and active in each of us. We look forward to continuing to grow in our journeys with Jesus and, in turn, extend His Kingdom in our City and around the world. Submitted by Susan Robertson
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Eveningside Eveningside Women’s Bible Study 2020 “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” We are a bunch of women who believe in the importance of studying God’s Word together on a regular basis. We know that God’s Word is alive and speaks freshly into the lives of women in the 21st century! We have a strong desire to grow in our faith and our love for Christ, and to be His faithful disciples wherever He has put us, “being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory.” (2. Cor. 3:18) We meet every Thursday Evening from 7-9 PM. For many years we have met at Heather Lim’s house, who graciously offered her home to welcome us. When Covid hit we moved online. March 26 was our very first Eveningside on zoom! This year Heather decided to go on a Sabbatical. The Lord answered our prayers for a new co-leader for Edith by calling Petra Anderson into this role. It has been wonderful to work with her and our group is blessed by her great skills of organizing, leading and teaching. Since we did not want to stop meeting during the summer, and we could not travel due to Covid, we came up with the idea of “Summer Spots”, meeting locally in small groups in a park, our chairs 6 feet apart, to continue studying God’s Word and encourage each other. This turned out to be a wonderful opportunity for new women to join who lived in the neighbourhood. As always, we encouraged other women to take on the role of facilitator. In March, Susan Colburn invited all of us to her lovely home for a Potluck Dinner, a great way to bond over food and sharing and praying for each other. This year we again tackled diverse studies, some specific Bible books, other thematic studies: -”Esther” by Beth Moore -” Rhythms of Life” – Intentionally becoming like Christ with Others. -”Galatians” by Tim Keller -Advent Study from Christianity Today by a variety of authors around the globe In order to not only be inward and upward focused, but also blessing others around us, we decided to “adopt” a specific ministry (locally or globally) each term. This means we commit to educate ourselves about the ministry by bringing in a speaker, pray for them, collect donations, and volunteer with them (if possible). We chose Ratanak, an anti-human trafficking ministry based in Cambodia, as our first “adoption”. In October, its founder, Brian McConaghy, spoke to the Covid-safe number of women (15) in the Fireside Place, but we also streamed it live so many more could watch online. As always, Brian was riveting and you cannot but be moved by the tragedy of selling human lives for profit, and wanting to help. We want to encourage more women of any age to join Morning- or Eveningside to delve deeper into God’s wonderful Word of life with us. We welcome you with joy! Submitted by Edith Rae
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IN THE COMMUNITY
DAYBREAK POINT
BIBLE CAMP ON ANVIL ISLAND
The last year has been different for most of us in so many ways, and it has also very been different for Anvil. I had the opportunity to spend a day “at camp” last summer as part of a work party. While it was strange and sad to see the camp being empty and quiet on a mid-summer day, it was still good to be there and to feel the presence of God in this very special place… and to know that this is just a pause. I know that in future this place will be full again with kids and with volunteers and with staff working and having fun and caring for each other, worshipping, planting seeds of faith and baptizing youth on the beach. Last summer the “in person” camps had to be cancelled in BC, but our camp directors and cabin leaders were able to connect with many of the youth that were registered for camps through mail outs and virtual events. On site, this was an opportunity to upgrade our accessibility to the boating area and to replace a float and ramp; to complete the deck and upgrade the bathrooms in the lodge and to perform some painting and new flooring in some cabins. As many of you know, Daybreak is in need of an updated dining hall to meet the future needs of the camp. There is much going on in the background and details will be announced at the proper time when more details are available. Let’s keep all those involved in our prayers. There is still a lot of uncertainty for the coming summer 2021. Our staff and Board of Directors have been closely following the COVID-19 pandemic as it has unfolded over the last few months. Please pray for wisdom to make good decisions for how to best use the camp this summer. “Due to Covid-19 there was not an “Annual Fundraising Banquet” this year. The camp has been blessed with generous donors over the past year and Daybreak ended up the year in a reasonable financial position. During these months where we will not be able to have campers on island, the plan is to do as much as possible to upgrade, refurbish and get the camp ready for next year. Daybreak is so thankful for the continued support from the Granville Chapel community and look forward to working together to further the amazing Christ focused work on Anvil Island.” (Jim Galpin, Director of Development) As many of you know, Granville Chapel was one of the founding churches of Daybreak Bible Camp, also known as “Anvil”, over 80 years ago. Granville Chapel is one of twelve member churches and has a longstanding relationship with Anvil. Our mission at Daybreak Point Bible Camp is to encourage campers to encounter the love and life of Jesus Christ through: ·Christ-centered teaching and programs ·Christian Community ·Personal relationships ·A safe and fun camp experience Many thanks to all of you for supporting Daybreak Point Bible Camp on Anvil Island in 2020 through your prayers, donations and volunteer service at camp. Submitted by Holger Janssen, Trustee/Member representative
For more information, please visit the Anvil camp website: anvilisland.ca or contact: Holger Janssen hjanssen12345@gmail.com Jim Galpin (Director of Development) jim@anvilisland.ca Terry Carabetta (Chairman): chairman@anvilisland.ca
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BLENHEIM LODGE SERVICE This was another of our ministries seriously affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. All was well in February 2020, when we gathered at Blenheim for the service on Feb 2nd.But the services in May,October, and December were all cancelled because of the lockdown. I think it has been a hard time for the seniors who live at Blenheim, but God has been merciful in that they have been spared any significant encounter with the virus. Some efforts were made to sing for the residents from outside during the summer,and various members of the GC community attended some of those events. Our thanks to Edith Rae, Bill Kent, Stan & Marj Robinson, Graham and Joana Hill, Marlene Perrett, Fook Weng and Siew Cheng, Bev Richards and Sharon Macintosh for supporting the efforts that were possible.We continue to grieve the passing of Dr. Ward Gasque, who was a resident at Blenheim for the final years of his life. Submitted by Andy Perrett
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EYEGLASS MINISTRY Granville Chapel’s six-decade long ministry collecting and recycling used eyeglasses in the Majority World continued until the pause resulting from the pandemic. We currently have several thousand pairs in storage and await the day when the eye-care volunteer teams can resume their missions trips. We thank all for your continued support. We would also invite anyone interested in bringing new energy to this project to contact us. Submitted by Siew Cheng Eng & Fook Weng Chan
ESL BIBLE STUDY For many years Cam MacIntosh ran a Bible study with a small group of ESL students at the Chapel. As his health began to fail, he passed this on Neil Rogers, who was able to keep it going until June 2020. This study has now lapsed, perhaps until such time as we can meet again freely.
Andy Perrett Lead Pastor
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ENGLISH PLUS ESL classes have been offered at Granville Chapel for more than twenty-five years.Through our current program, English Plus, our goal is to offer newcomers to Vancouver, particularly in the neighbourhood of Granville Chapel,the opportunity to learn English and to build friendships with each other and with their teachers. We also hope tocreate a bridge to the broader community of Granville Chapel and an opportunity to hear the good news that God loves us and that we can have a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. In 2020 we tried out a new platform for our gatherings- Zoom! Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we moved our groups online beginning in April 2020. We redesigned our classes, shortening their timeframe and offering more choices for potential students. We ran classes through July, and then started with our Fall classes in September. We have appreciated having Christine Yeung, Regent College Intern, assist in some of our classes since September. Our classes in 2020 were smaller - and more intimate. Not all students have felt comfortable joining in on Zoom sessions, and some students have returned home to China in this season. Through it all, we have continued to enjoy getting to know students and sharing our language with them. We do look forward to seeing students in person again! We would also like to note how much we appreciate Cam MacIntosh’s care and commitment to his students in teaching the Bible over many years in his weekly ESL Bible Study. Cam passed away on September 17, 2020. It’s a privilege to engage with newcomers to Canada. We would love to see more students come to our programs in the future, and find hope in Christ through our extended community.In the future, when we can meet again in person, we would also love to have more Granville Chapel people involved, sharing language and life with our students. We invite you to join us! Submitted by Susan Robertson English Plus Coordinator
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COMMUNITY MEAL Well, we had exactly 2 typical community meal evenings last year, 3 atypical community meals and a few homemade take-out type meals. I think the first thing we want to convey is a big thank you to our church family for knowing that there would be families financially hurting in one way or another. Before the community meal team leaders could wish for anything we started to get notifications from the church admin that gift cards were being dropped off for us to pick up at the office! I made several bike rides over to Granville Chapel to pick up envelopes labeled, ‘Operation Gift Card’. Honestly, I have been so encouraged in my faith because of this thought and practical care for the community meal families. What makes this so beautiful is that we didn’t ask any of it. Claire Tweeddale, Debra Barnes, Susan Robertson, Heather Lim and I have had the privilege of delivering these gift cards to families. As the months went on we were given baking, lovely care packages, gently used toys/games/books/clothes, and cash – all generously given to us to distribute. We have felt like we’ve had all the fun! We were able to distribute Christmas hampers to 10 Community Meal families. After Christmas there were more of the same given to us with which we created and delivered Valentines/Family Day/Snow Weekend packages for 11 families. Thank you so much! Last summer and early fall we were able to meet in parks once a month which was really great. To comply with restrictions, we brought take-out dinners like sushi and pizza and always popsicles! No complaints – it was yummy by all accounts. To keep connections with the families I’ve done some large batch meals out of our home kitchen that families could pick up from our deck at staggered times. The single moms especially have appreciated this. It will soon be time to return the big stock pot and huge pans to the church kitchen where they don’t look ‘way too big’ at all. Haha. God is good, all the time! We know that last spring especially was very hard on families and we thank God for all the ways we were able to see them thrive as best as possible. We look forward to meeting again, on the 3rd Monday of the month, at the church, but in the meantime we will continue connections as the Holy Spirit gives us nudges. As Dallas Willard says, “The Kingdom of God is not in danger. The universe is a perfectly safe place to be”. (Not because bad things don’t happen . . . . but because those bad things cannot define our eternity.) Thank you for your part in blessing this little part of the universe! Submitted by Beth Hankinson
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MEET THE NEED The major focus of the Meet the Need ministry is on Extending God’s Kingdom in our city. Our mandate is to administer the donations received in the Meet the Need offering, and to encourage the congregation in serving those less fortunate in the Vancouver area. Mothers Offering Mentorship and Support (MOMS) - $350/month Kinbrace - $400/month City Gate Leadership Forum (Tim Dickau) - $250/month* Crossroads Community Meal - $250/month** Vancouver Crisis Pregnancy Centre - $300/month families in need Just Work - $150/month received giftcards in lieu of Christmas Hampers Jacob’s Well - $150/month Granville Chapel Community Meal - $150/month***
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*We stopped contributing to City Gate during its leadership transition period (a period of about 8 months) but have resumed our monthly donations as of October, 2020. **Crossroads Community Meal is on hiatus due to Covid19, and stopped accepting our donations in October, 2020. We will resume our donation as soon as they are able to resume their community meal. ***Granville Chapel Community Meal has also been on hiatus since March, 2020, due to Covid 19 shutdowns. We will resume contributing to this ministry as soon as it is able to provide regular community meals again.
We have also cared for and connected with these ministries by: ·Seeking to know more about each ministry’s blessings and needs and praying for each ministry. ·Inviting ministry leaders to attend a monthly MTN meeting. We have had a representative from all but one of our ministries join us over the past year (via Zoom since March, 2020). We would like to celebrate these things from 2020: ·We have been able to honour our commitments in supporting each of our ministries, despite the fact that MTN’s monthly contributions have declined since March 2020. ·Each of our ministries have had positive and encouraging stories to share about how God has worked in their communities during this past year, despite the ongoing challenges brought on by the Covid 19 pandemic. ·We were able to provide Christmas gift cards to 19 families in need (in our Granville community and beyond), in lieu of providing our Christmas gift hampers. ·We participated in a virtual Operation Baby Bottle last spring in order to support the Vancouver Crisis Pregnancy Centre and contributed a small amount towards their $12,000 total. We are thankful to everyone from our Granville Chapel community who has continued to generously donate to the Meet the Need offering and who has also continued to pray for the ministries we support. From the 2020 Meet the Need Committee, Claire Tweeddale - chair Debra Barnes Karen Harmel Sally Law Yardley McNeill Nellie Seeto
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MISSIONS TEAM The Missions Team continues to serve those near and afar and to steward the resources entrusted to us. Covid did not slow us down! As is our practice, we bring missionaries into all our team meetings for personal connection, updates, encouragement (mutual), and prayer. Zoom has enabled us to continue this to great effect and we see significant use beyond Covid! The Missions Team is composed of dedicated members who gather monthly in prayer, devotions, and connection with our missionary partners. Many thanks to Joan Shannon Jung, Edith Rae, Andy Perrett, Bill Kent, Eric and Joanna Miller, Sharon McIntosh, and Graham Hill.
HIGHLIGHTS:
·Mission Explored: It was a delight to have Neil and Lucy Rogers amongst us serving while they undertook studies at Regent College! They led an eight part series called “Mission Explored” that began in person then went online after Covid. The series covered mission’s history, key issues, and personal experiences by those who have served. While we were sorry to see them move on, we are pleased to be partnering with them as they pastor a church in Kyrgyzstan.
·First Nations Young Life: At the end of 2020 we provided a gift from our strategic missions fund for the start-up of a new work by Young Life in reaching out to youth in four First Nation Communities on the Saanich Peninsula. We are very excited to be partnering with Tua Va’a who grew up on one of the reserves and came to faith through Young Life. He has four volunteer leaders working to connect with kids even through the pandemic.
·Canadian Christian Leaders Network (CCLN)/ The Way Church: We have been supporting Jason Ballard at Alpha Canada through Shaila Visser for years. We were excited to partner with Jason and two other 30 something pastors (Chris and Jeremy) as they began to plant a church in Vancouver focused on reaching a younger generation disaffected from Church and the unchurched. As an adjunct to The Way, Jason leads the newly formed Canadian Christian Leaders Network with a vision to resource pastors, and to identify and build up key Canadian next generation leaders age 25-40. They have a terrific mentor in Darrell Johnson. Terry has been active with Jason and other staff regarding their Missions and CCLN development.
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·Calling Ministries: Many Granville leaders are on staff at Calling. Unable to gather for the annual Breakfast enjoyed by many across Vancouver, Calling pivoted to support missionaries in a new way. Through the Covid Missionary Support Fund, over 20 missionaries and organization feeling the pinch of Covid on their support were provided financial gifts and encouragement over two periods. A third is planned. Calling has also set out a vision called “Deep and Wide”. The plan is to widen the free use of the Missionary Home to pastors and missionaries from not just Vancouver, but across Canada, and to deepen the support provided when they stay. ·Alpha: In Shaila Vissers 11 blessed years as National Director of Alpha Canada she says she has never seen what has occurred this past year as Alpha Canada had to pivot to an online model of Alpha which had never been done before. “Quickly churches families in need adapted, not only in Canada but around the world. In our country over 1800 churches received giftcards in lieu of Christmas Hampers ran 4700+ Alpha's with over 2000 run online. It was an incredible year of opportunity and we continue to hear story after story of men and women, young and old, who met Jesus for the first time on Alpha. We agree with Alpha pioneer, Nicky Gumbel, who says 'we are living in the greatest evangelistic moment in our lifetime'.”
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·Bulembu: We support this organization that takes in and nourishes orphan children in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) in Africa. The organization has experienced a tough last year and half with the tragic loss of a family, and the pandemic pressuring the community enterprises that have traditionally provided financial support. Granville provided a gift from the Mission Fund for further assistance. · We praise God for his faithfulness and guidance through this past year! The adventure continues…
Terry Robertson (on behalf of the Missions Team)
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5901 Granville Street Vancouver, BC V6M 3C9 604-263-4121 office@granvillechapel.com Granville Chapel granville_chapel www.granvillechapel.com