Grace For Your Day April 17

In the Fall of 2015, Grace Fellowship Chilliwack conducted its first public services in the basement of a home in Chilliwack. After several meetings, the small congregation determined that they would plant a church based upon Scripture and the basics of the Christian faith. By the winter of that year, the group had grown large enough to move out of a home and into the current facility at 46024 Riverside Drive.

At the same time, the people realized that they would need help in the church planting process. They reached out to Grace Advance, a ministry of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles, California that specializes in church plants and revitalization (www.graceadvance.org). The first man that they sent to visit us was a veteran pastor named Carl Hargrove who spoke with the new group of believers, prayed with them, and also preached on a Sunday morning. He also approved of the work that they were starting, so in the Spring of 2016, the team of Grace Advance began helping GFC search for a Teaching Pastor which eventually led to my opportunity to come here.
Since then, our congregation has seen its first baptisms, welcomed its first members, ordained its first elders, selected its first deacons, and continued to grow in its various ministries. It all started with the help of Grace Advance and this year we are pleased to announce that Carl Hargrove will be joining us on April 21-22 in order to talk about “Principles for a Healthy Church” from First Thessalonians 5:14-15 which says:

We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.

Needless to say, a church cannot function if it does not have a proper understanding of this verse. It will fail if it is not able to care for its people as they go through the various stages of life because some saints in the church are unruly and need to be shepherded one way. They need to be admonished with a firm hand. Other ones are fainthearted and need to be shepherded another way because they need to be encouraged and built up so that they do not despair. Still other ones are weak and we need to approach them with tenderness which is what Carl will be talking about in his time with us.

The conference will be held on the campus of Cooke’s Presbyterian Church at 45825 Wellington Avenue in Chilliwack. It will be free of charge although love offerings will be accepted. We will provide child care for children up to age 4. Lunch is also provided on Saturday. The schedule is as follows:

Friday
6:00 p.m. Arrive/Registration
6:30 p.m. Session 1
8:00 p.m. Coffee/Tea/Snacks
9:00 p.m. Leave

Saturday
8:30 a.m. Arrive
9:00 a.m. Session 2
10:30 a.m. Coffee/Tea/Snacks
11:00 a.m. Q & A
12:00 p.m. Lunch

Everyone is welcome to attend but we would appreciate it if you could RSVP by calling the church office at (604) 712-1044 or email us at admin@gracefellowshipchilliwack.com or register online at https://form.jotform.com/223565411790254.

We are excited about this opportunity to talk about the church and how we can grow in our service to it. Please pray that all those who attend this conference will be blessed and edified in the faith.

- Jeremy Cagle