March/April 2018 testimony
MARCH/APRIL 2018 STORIES
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FLASHES OF FACTS—Thoughts on Easter and eternity from a coffee shop conversation
Retirees and coffee shops go together like high school kids and convenience stores. They may not offer fine dining, but they do provide a place for friends to gather and converse. But then there are those people, like David Slauenwhite, who go to the local coffee shop mostly to listen. Here are some thoughts on Easter and eternity gleaned from one of his recent eavesdropping expeditions. Read more.
FROM VISION TO REALITY—A story of new birth at 70 years of age
Gibsons, B.C., is a picturesque town of 4,600 people, located at the south end of the Sunshine Coast, just north of Vancouver. Our PAOC church in Gibsons has been there for 70 years and is now known as Christian Life Assembly (CLA). This past December, CLA saw a vision become a reality when Fellowship in the Creek was launched in Roberts Creek, a small community 15 minutes away. They believe their story can happen in any place where a church dares to believe that God can do what we cannot do and provide what we do not have. [Full content available to subscribers.]
SEVEN QUESTIONS FOR: Paul Fraser—It’s about kingdom work
The 2020 Initiative of the PAOC calls for a shared vision of church revitalization and multiplication. In October 2017, Rev. Paul Fraser of Edmonton, Alberta, accepted the call to serve as the PAOC’s church multiplication co-ordinator. His role is to support and co-ordinate our local, district and national church multiplication movement. Paul brings a wealth of experience to this challenge. This issue’s Seven Questions offers you a glimpse into his story and his heart. Read more.
ANYONE HUNGRY?—Rediscovering the power of a holy discontent
So many stories about the early Pentecostal movement revolve around hunger. Women and men travelled extensive distances and spent long hours, even days, in prayer—all because they were hungry. And what were they hungry for? For God! Peter Cusick looks at the role spiritual hunger has played in our past as a Fellowship and needs to play in our future. [Full content available to subscribers.]
BEING THE CONNECTION—A church in Jordan is offering hope to Syrian refugees
What do you do when a refugee crisis shows up at your door? If you are Pastors Dikran and Ani Salbashian and the congregation of New Life Church in Amman, Jordan, you open the door and do what you can to connect refugees with a hope in Christ and a home in Canada. [Full content available to subscribers.]
ABOUT A SOFET—The birth and evolving life of a doctrinal statement
“How about that Statement of Fundamental and Essential Truths?” Did you just hear the room go silent? Feel a shiver go down your spine? When’s the last time you tossed a conversational hand grenade like that into a room full of Pentecostals? Well, it’s been done before, and we’ve survived to talk about it. In fact, having the conversation has helped make us stronger. So maybe it’s time to take the risk again. Here is a look back at the origin and ongoing development of our PAOC Statement of Fundamental and Essential Truths—or SOFET to those in the know. [Full content available to subscribers.]
Our Stories
MISSION CANADA: IT'S DRAFT DAY!—Calling those with a passion to reach Canada for Christ
Brian Egert, the director and assistant to the general superintendent for Mission Canada, explains that, as the PAOC strives to reach Canada for Christ, we need to scout for qualified, called and equipped individuals with skills and abilities unique to them. Individuals with an undying passion to reach those who need to know the love of Jesus; those who will go into unique settings in our nation, perhaps doing ministry a little differently than we have in days gone by. Read more.
ERDO: HOPE FOR REFUGEES TO UGANDA—PAG & ERDO come together to be the face of compassion
Millions of South Sudanese refugees have fled their homes due to civil conflict and hunger and are finding refuge in Uganda. Every week over 2,000 new refugees are arriving, and the available resources are overstretched. Through ERDO’s partnership with the Pentecostal Assemblies of God - Uganda, 2,500 refugees have been fed supplementary and highly nutritious food. Samantha Burnside, the marketing and communications officer for ERDO, reports on the situation. Read more.
INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS: THE PRINCIPLE OF ALIGNMENT—Working with God in His field to make things grow
Alignment calls us to surrender our ambitions, dreams, plans and strategies to what God is doing, in contrast to what we think God should do and what we want to do. Murray Cornelius, the executive director of International Missions, reflects on how the PAOC has globally aligned with God's mission over the past 100 years. Read more.
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