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Here they razed Ebenezer
Ebenezer Home, a private Christian care home for seniors in Abbotsford, is
closing this month after Fraser Health Authority (FHA) decided to stop funding
26 of the 91 beds at the facility; 23 other beds have been occupied by
private-pay residents, and the rest were currently unused. The facility, which
has been in operation for 40 years, will now be sold, and the residents will be
relocated to other care homes. FHA has also cut off funding to day programs at
Ebenezer, which served 40 seniors suffering from conditions such as dementia.
It is not certain that there will be room for those clients in other day
programs in Abbotsford.
A new start
On July 24, Psalm 23 Transition Society in Abbotsford opened Genesis House, a
recovery home for nine men who are recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. The
5,200 square-foot house was purchased with an $847,000 grant from the B.C.
government. The five-stage, Christian-based Psalm 23 program is designed to
lead residents from homelessness to a place where they are self-supporting
members of society. The ministry, founded in 2001 by president Marvin Declare,
already operates two other homes in Abbotsford – Clearbrook House and Melmar House.
30 seems like an Eternity
A banquet will be held September 26 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the
founding of The Eternity Club by Audrey Mabley. The ministry, based in Burnaby,
began with weekly ‘salvation and healing’ meetings. A church was birthed in 1992, the Eternally Yours radio program in 1989 and the Eternally Yours TV program in 2003. (It is currently broadcast on the Miracle Channel at 11:30
am on Saturdays and on Joy TV at 4:30 pm on Sundays.) The banquet will be held
at 1 pm at the Holiday Inn Express, 2889 East Hastings Street in Vancouver.
RSVP to eternityclub@telus.net or 604-437-5500.
Double that
This summer Don Gossett celebrated his 80th birthday and 60 years of full-time
ministry. Now based in White Rock, his radio ministry has been on the air since
1961, reaching as many as 89 nations. He has personally preached in 56
countries and written numerous books. www.dongossett.com
Keep on pedalling
In July, Cornel Dobrin of Langley bicycled across Canada – from Vancouver to St. John’s, Newfoundland – in 24 days, breaking the old record of 27 days. Dobrin and his family came to
Canada in 1989 as refugees from Romania. At the end of his trip, Dobrin, a
Christian, commented on his Facebook page: “Never ever ever give up! Don't give up on your family, your marriages, your
kids, your dreams, and don’t give up on God.”
And raising money
The Ride for Refugees, a bicycle ride designed to raise awareness and funds for
local and international refugee ministries, will take place in Richmond October
3. The ride was initiated in 2004 in Ontario by Neil Ostrander, CEO of
International Teams Canada, a Christian mission. It is now held in four centres
in Ontario and last year raised over $600,000. One feature of the program is
that it works with already-existing non-profit organizations in each area. This
is the first year a ride will be held in B.C., and teams have already been
signed up to support such organizations as East Vancouver’s New Hope Community Services Society, the Salsbury Community Society and
Burnaby’s Journey Home Community. If you want to ride, sponsor, volunteer, enter a team
or register your refugee ministry to raise your own funds through this event,
register at www.rideforrefugees.com.
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If you can’t bike, run
Five men are running 400 kilometres, from Osoyoos to Richmond, in 13 days
(August 31 – September 12) to raise $50,000 for Lifewater Canada, a group of volunteers who
help the poor in rural Africa drill wells for clean drinking water. The Desert
Run will also commemorate Arno Ekkert, who envisioned this goal but died in
February 2009. www.thedesertrun.com
Or sing
The Canadian Tenors will be performing for the first time in Vancouver,
September 26 at the Voices for Bulembu Benefit Concert. The Bulembu Foundation
is a Christian organization that bought the abandoned mining town of Bulembu,
Swaziland, in 2006 and is working to restore the town as a vibrant community by
developing orphan care, education, health services and commerce. The concert
will take place at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC. Tickets are
available from Ticketmaster. www.voicesforbulembu.com
Or study God
Three churches are hosting a 10-seminar KOINOS course, leading to a Certificate
in Christian Foundations. It will start at various dates during September, at
Sevenoaks Alliance, Abbotsford; Lord’s Grace, Vancouver; and West Vancouver Baptist. The goal is to make the
essential tools of serious theological study available to busy adults. Subjects
include: Old Testament, New Testament, Christian Ethics, Christian Theology,
Christian Worship, Christian Ministry, Christianity and the Arts, History of Christianity and
Global Mission. http://koinosseminars.wordpress.com
– Jim Coggins
September 2009
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