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Meet at GM Place July 1
How can churches work together and be a blessing to the
City of Vancouver? What can churches do to help resolve some of the many
social issues facing the city?
These questions and others were placed before Vancouver
city hall staff by Yani Lim, an Indonesian-Canadian pastor, on behalf of
churches around Greater Vancouver.
The result? ‘Voices
Together,’ a major Christian celebration
of unity, love and prayer to be held at GM Place (pictured) on Canada Day,
July 1. The event will also celebrate B.C.’s 150th birthday.
City officials gave Lim a practical list of ideas of
how churches can work together to benefit the poor. Her first challenge,
though, is to bring the Christian community together.
“Our vision is to express prayer and praise as we
join hands with thousands of Christians from Greater Vancouver and the
Fraser Valley, to raise our voices together and lift high the name of
Jesus,” Lim says.
According to organizers, the evening will feature
praise and worship, a drama presentation, dance from ethnic groups, and
preaching – with no prominence given to ‘name
performers.’ A choir made up of hundreds of ex-addicts named
‘Voices of Freedom’ will perform.
Lim states, “I know the timeline is short, but in
my heart I believe I heard the Lord tell me ‘Do you want to do it, or
do you want me to do it?’”
Lim is hoping for 6,000 – 10,000 people. She
welcomes prayer, with open meetings for the event being held Wednesdays at
6:30 pm at Bethany Indonesian Church, 1806 E. Hastings Street, Vancouver.
Info: www.voicestogether.ca.
– PB
Starfield returns
Subsequent to the abrupt end to their concert April 25
at Central Heights Church, Abbotsford, and the cancellation of the
following concert at Willingdon Church, Burnaby, Starfield have announced
they will return to both cities to perform. (June 6, 7). For info:
www.starfieldonline.com.
The floor of the auditorium at Central Heights caved
in, with 70 or so people falling through to the basement. The concert
promoter, United Productions, and the B.C. Conference of Mennonite Brethren
Churches, are being sued by the father of two teens. The claim filed in
B.C. Supreme Court states that 17 year old Sarah Williams suffered
concussion, brain trauma, and back, wrist and hip injuries; and that her
sister Jennifer (19) suffered arm injuries.
Student writes games tune
The Saskatchewan Summer Games’ theme song was
written by Laura Hastings, a 20 year old Trinity Western University
student. Commenting on the theme song – ‘Reaching’
– she said it was “an intimidating project,” as most of
her compositions have been “more melancholy.”
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Chinese pastors met with president of EFC
Bruce Clemenger, president of the Evangelical
Fellowship of Canada, spoke at the monthly meeting of the Vancouver Chinese
Evangelical Ministerial Fellowship, Monday, April 7 at South Vancouver
Pacific Grace MB Church. Clemenger defined the roles of church and state,
showing how evangelicals can work with publicly elected officials to
promote social norms and principles from the Bible that contribute to the
public good. In politics, Clemenger said that the church serves both as a
prophet and a participant. “The church should speak into politics
rather than becoming a partisan.” The Gospel Herald
Ratanak rewarded
The Bridgeway Foundation has awarded its top award of
$20,000 this year to Ratanak Foundation of Vancouver. For 18 years, Ratanak
has been delivering aid to Cambodia, focusing on providing safe houses for
young girls rescued from enforced prostitution. Its most recent project,
Transitions Housing and Services Project (Cambodia), helps women leave the
sex trade and gain valuable life and working skills. When receiving the
award, Ratanak founder Brian McConaghy passionately emphasized that
although these Cambodian girls and women are considered only a commodity
within the sex trade, “they are truly worth loving and dying for
– just as the God of the universe has already done.”
www.ratanak.org
Info: www.bridgewayfoundation.ca.
Rock-paper-scissors
Langley Christian Middle and High School students
proved themselves pretty handy when trying to set a world record on May 20.
The game ‘rock, paper, scissors’ was played
by some 700 students in an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. Event
organizer grade 12 student Steven Kim came up with the idea after browsing
the Guinness book
and seeing the existing record (of 412). RCMP Sgt. Rick Koop, one of a
group of independent witnesses to the record attempt, stated he had
verified the presence and participation of 746 people.
Langley
Times
Gather and Give
Gather and Give is holding its 4th annual Cyclathon
Fundraiser. The ride is fun and set at a pace for moderate cyclists. The
route is a scenic 70 km or 100 km ride in Vancouver and Richmond June 28.
Gather and Give provides people moving into a new residence in Vancouver
with the essential items to make a home.
Contact: www.gatherandgive.org
Upside down church
A controversial sculpture of an upside-down country
church has been situated near Stanley Park for over two years. Named
‘Device to Root Out Evil,’ it was created by renowned
artist Dennis Oppenheim. Vancouver Park Board commissioners voted
unanimously at the beginning of April to have the sculpture dismantled. The
board was accepting submissions until May 30 on what to do with it. Some
Christians had denounced the sculpture as blasphemous. But speaking to Vancouver Sun columnist Douglas
Todd, Vancouver sculptor David Robinson, a Christian, said he
“doesn’t mind the device” and described it as a
“monumental one-liner” about the “sins” of
Christianity. – PB
June 2008
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