Good News Fellowship Church

Today we will hear a message based on our theme for the next two months, “A Different Kind of King”. Krista dela Rosa will help us explore some of the history of the kings of Israel and how that might have impacted what folks expected of who Jesus ought to have been.

Today, as part of our series on the theme "A Different Kind of King", Jan Van Aertselaer will explore with us the story of the baptism of Jesus in Jordan River by his cousin, who became known as John the Baptist. This story marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, but not before he spends forty days in the wilderness following his baptism. Communion will be served during this service.

This morning Genesis will be sharing 4 different prayers related to the 4 days of Advent. Love, Hope, Peace and Joy. And then Cynthia will do a short study on the gifts of the wise men and what impact they have on us today. (First 4 minutes are missing due to mic issues)

"The gift of Christmas is the Messiah born to a weary world. This morning Leshia Verkerk will lead us in looking at Luke 1:39-55 to see that God Himself is our greatest gift this Christmas season. He is the one who brings light and life to all of us."

Our stories help us know who we are, where we come from and where we are going, so it only makes sense to want to tell good stories. Join Storyteller Brad Woods this Sunday to hear about how to find your story, how it connects with the advent story and how it fits into God's master story.

KidVenture will lead our service. It's going to be fun! We begin our theme for December: Advent: The Gift.

This morning we continue with our theme: Dwelling In The Temple, Stewardship. Our World Belongs to God. Ray Van der Zaag will speak about this topic as we further consider how we live in, and care for, this world that God has created and commissioned us to care for.

Psalm 119 is not just an anthem declaring the glory of God's word. It is the heart cry of a man who is in the midst of a severe trial, a crucible. Through his words we can glimpse his heart and glean some wisdom for the roads of suffering that we must also take. This morning Mike McInnes will share his teaching on this topic with us.

we continue with Part 2 of the talk by Karen Wilk, Go Local Team Leader. Last week we asked the text many questions and pondered what the Spirit might be saying to us as we seek to discover and join God on His mission in our neighbourhoods. This morning we continue that practice! In preparation, how about asking one another, how have you seen God at work in your life or neighbourhood this week? And if you have an opportunity to dwell in the text, try jotting down as many questions as you can think of as a way to ponder what God might be saying to you and your community.

we continue with Part 2 of the talk by Karen Wilk, Go Local Team Leader. Last week we asked the text many questions and pondered what the Spirit might be saying to us as we seek to discover and join God on His mission in our neighbourhoods. This morning we continue that practice! In preparation, how about asking one another, how have you seen God at work in your life or neighbourhood this week? And if you have an opportunity to dwell in the text, try jotting down as many questions as you can think of as a way to ponder what God might be saying to you and your community.

This morning, Karen Wilk, Go Local Team Leader, will explore Luke 10:1-4a with us via video. She will help us approach the text by way of Midrash, the Jewish form of Scripture interpretation. Midrash opens up an ongoing conversation with the text which is unencumbered by the need to find the right answer, get everything ‘to fit’ or avoid the tensions and questions in the passage. We have begun to wrestle or Midrash the text with the practice of dwelling that we experienced as a community last week. Today, we’ll dig around the first four verses (1-4a) of the passage you read, Luke 10:1-12, pondering and engaging with its context and ours, inviting the Spirit to help us explore and participate in God’s story and-- its’ implications as we seek to be a community bearing witness to ‘The Kingdom of God come near’ right where we live (Luke 10:9, 11).

This morning, Karen Wilk, Go Local Team Leader, will explore Luke 10:1-4a with us via video. She will help us approach the text by way of Midrash, the Jewish form of Scripture interpretation. Midrash opens up an ongoing conversation with the text which is unencumbered by the need to find the right answer, get everything ‘to fit’ or avoid the tensions and questions in the passage. We have begun to wrestle or Midrash the text with the practice of dwelling that we experienced as a community last week. Today, we’ll dig around the first four verses (1-4a) of the passage you read, Luke 10:1-12, pondering and engaging with its context and ours, inviting the Spirit to help us explore and participate in God’s story and-- its’ implications as we seek to be a community bearing witness to ‘The Kingdom of God come near’ right where we live (Luke 10:9, 11).

SURPRISE!! It’s your birthday party! Surprise, you got a speeding ticket in the mail. Life throws us all sorts of surprises on a daily basis; some lovely and others not so much. This Sunday Jo Unger will be talking about how our responses to those surprises can sometimes makes things worse and other times help to further our growth. Teachings from the Bible and mindfulness can help us learn to “Surrender to Surprise.”

We will hear from Greg Sinclair who has been a member of GNF and who, with his wife, Nellie, served for several years in Mali. From Greg: "I will be taking about hospitality and the Spirits work in helping us welcome people from around the world - with some references to my work with Resonate. Text will be Acts 2:1-13. For background my work now focuses on the 244 mill people in the diaspora and looking for where God is at work. For example the Iranian church globally is the second fastest growing church in the world."

This morning, as we continue our theme of God's Covenantal Love, we welcome Elder Connie Budd who will share her Faith story with us. Connie is a Swampy Cree Elder from Norway House, Mb at the tip of Lake Winnipeg Treaty 5 Territory. The eldest of 10 children, she is a mother, grandmother & great grandmother, as well as a retired Diaconial minister of the United Church of Canada. She volunteers at the Indigenous Family Centre as an Elder. Connie says: "I do walk in my life journey with both my Christianity & Traditional culture."

This morning we will look at the principles of biblical covenants and how they challenge us to keep the covenants (treaties) made between European settlers and Indigenous people in the country we now know as Canada

This morning, as we continue to explore our theme of: Love, Justice and Mercy, Shannon Perez will share her Faith Story. Indigenous, Christian, Identity and Inclusion Shannon says: "Looking back, it is easy to say that I did all those things, made good decisions but upon closer examination, it really was the hand of God. How has God led me to understand identity, inclusion, Indigenous and Christian?" Shannon will share a couple of stories of God’s presence in her life and some times when she experienced tension.

This Morning...Happy Mothers' Day! This morning we continue our theme of Love, Justice and Mercy with a talk by Sam Wells.

Easter morning really seems to be the penultimate expression of God's Reckless Love. But have we taken this love for granted? Do we really understand the scope of what it means when we say God is Love? Join us this morning as Krista dela Rosa helps us explore more about how God's Love can change our stories.

This morning we continue our series titled: " The Power of Love - God's Reckless Love'. We'll hear John Oudenaar as he shares his Faith Story within the context of the power of God's love.

A word we hear repeatedly these days is the word “narrative”, defined as a spoken or written account of connected events. In other words a story. The fact that a good story either heard or read is almost always engaging presents an important consideration. This morning as we hear another in our series of “faith stories” we hope you are encouraged and ready to explore the value of “narrative” in the Christian context. We look forward to hearing Bob Van Aertselaer's faith story this morning, in our series on 'The Power of Love'.

This morning, as we continue with our topic: 'The Power of Love', we will hear from Pastor Don Draayer. Forgetting is an all-too-common reality of human life. Some of what we forget doesn’t matter. Other things we should never forget. God provides helps for us to deal with our forgetfulness in matters that he views of utmost importance; some things he simply doesn’t want us to forget. And he uses very mundane objects to aid our memories of who he is and how he cares for us.

This morning is a Faith Stories service. We are privileged to hear from Susan Slatcher and Jeremy Wells about how “The Power of Praise” has impacted their lives and their faith.

Leshia Verkerk is with us this morning to teach us about our theme, “The Power of Praise”. She will help us continue to explore the importance of psalms and songs of praise to God, not just reading or using them when we feel like it, but as a way to remind and recall to ourselves of God’s past faithfulness, especially when we may be dealing with hardships in our own lives.

We will hear from Paul Unger and Chris Lorenz as they share their Faith Stories in the context of our series theme, 'Offer what you can, Ask for what you need.'

Continuing with our theme of “Offer what you can, Ask for what you need” Jayne Vander Zaag will look at two stories in the Bible featuring widows to help us explore how culture and how we view ourselves impacts our ability to offer what we can, and ask for what we need.

This morning, we welcome back our friend, Brad Woods, who will present to us a collection of stories about angels, presents and babies that are either true, sort of true or not true at all. But each one sheds a unique light on Advent, Epiphany and Christmas and as a result helps us see the truth, beauty and power of the season through a new and creative lens.

Today is the first Sunday of Advent and we will light the Hope candle in preparation for Christmas. We will also be celebrating the dedication of Mira Bulala. Evert Busink, retired CRC Pastor, will be here to conduct the dedication and share a sermon with us.

We will hear from Cathie Van Benthem and Cynthia Plett as they share, as part of their faith stories, some of their experiences with living out their spiritual gifts. What impact has this had on their lives and those who have been touched by them? There will be an opportunity for questions and discussion following their story presentations.

This morning, as we continue to reflect on “Spiritual Gifts in Practice”, we are invited to consider our need for a renaissance of wonder in a world plagued by disenchantment. In his time of disenchantment, Job was told to “stop and consider the wondrous works of God”. How do we remain open to the gift of wonder and model that for our children?

It's a Kidventure Sunday! We're excited to be led by the Kidventure kids and leaders through games, songs, and fun activities. What would the body be like without ears? Or the rainbow without the colour blue? Today Corrie will talk about unity in the church and why God likes it best when we serve him together. "All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful!” 1 Corinthians 12

"As a follow up to last Sunday's topic, this morning John and Linda Parsons will share, as part of their faith story, some of their experiences using the various spiritual gifts. Come prepared to express your thoughts and ask your questions. They will take time to comment."

We are excited to have John Parsons speak to us this morning about Spiritual Gifts. As we continue our series, we look forward to centering ourselves in God's teaching about His gifts and we are grateful that John will be sharing that with us.

Our meditation this morning is on the Parable of the Sower (Matt 13, Mark 4, Luke 8). This message was originally given by Ray Vander Zaag at the funeral of his father, a potato farmer, as a reflection on the gift and challenge of his father's life. So while it is a testimony given at the end of a life, the themes of seed and soil also relate to us at GNF and our September theme of New Growth New Beginnings. How are we called to produce an abundant harvest in our life and that of the community around us?

September often feels like more of a new starting point than New Year's Day. In Winnipeg especially, there is a significant delineation of the seasons. People often go from 'vacation' mode back into work mode. School starts up again. The days start to get shorter. There seems to be a marked shift in focus for most people in September. With that in mind, for the next three weeks, we will be thinking on the theme of New Growth / New Beginnings. This morning, Cathie Chapman and Krista dela Rosa will be sharing their faith stories with us, reflecting on how these themes have shown up in their lives and in their new roles as Church Life and Leadership Coordinators here at GNF.

We'll be listening and sharing around the theme of Justice (today is designated "Day of Justice" by our congregation, the Christian Reformed Church of North America) with guest speaker, Brad Woods. Brad is friend of GNF who has previously visited us in past summers and is an amazing storyteller from, Guelph, Ontario.

Stories are powerful. We all love stories, especially ones that give us an “inside look” into someone else’s life. As children of God, we each have a powerful story to tell. Our "Faith Story Sundays" are about sharing how we experience Jesus and the difference he’s made in our lives and, we hope, they can help others discover how they, too, can know God personally. This morning we look forward to hearing from Sam Wells and Daryl Hiebert as they share on the topic of forgiveness, reconciliation, and the abounding grace of God in our lives.

This Sunday at GNF we will have a large group discussion time, led by Krista dela Rosa, and will explore the fact that we all have an innate desire for justice – we want others to experience consequences for their bad behavior. However, as we will hear in a video of Wilma Derksen, whose daughter Candace was abducted and murdered in 1984, for those of us who are Christians, we understand that we are called beyond the black and white of justice to love and mercy as well. If you are interested in watching the video you can here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=U7Byq9sW_XU

We begin a new series on forgiveness and reconciliation as we rotate through the five different service styles once more. Being reconciled to God is huge, it's the reason I came to Winnipeg. It is the reason I preach the good news. That ALL have been reconciled to God is a huge and exciting story. I often feel as though we Christians in North America don't really fully appreciate the significance of this reality. Most of you know how we were reconciled to God but do you truly know and understand what we have gained? It's a whole new life, a different way of thinking and living and loving. What we have gained trumps everything. It is the reason that I came here and it's the reason I am convicted to continue this work elsewhere. I will miss lots of things and people here at GNF but what I gain as one reconciled trumps that too.

Last week we began a series of five Sundays devoted to the theme of "Foreigners." This Sunday we continue the theme with two videos and a large group discussion time. We'll receive information on current immigration trends and hear from Jenny Yang, the Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief. Then we will join in discussion led by Bob Van Aertselaer as we explore why God has a heart for the stranger; the foreigner, how Jesus demonstrated this love in every day actions, and how we can embrace and welcome those who are "other" to us. Video Credit Thanks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GveyU8GvxXA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd4IEuPvQw8

We begin a series of five Sundays devoted to the theme of "Foreigners." As Christians, we, at least we here at GNF, do not advocate for wall building. We advocate for Christ, who, scripture tells us, 'broke down the dividing wall of hostility between two separate peoples in order to make them one people'. The "one" referenced here is God's people or, more pointedly, Jesus' people. It is why God said the foreigners, when they come to worship should worship in the manner he prescribed for his people Israel. They were to look at foreigners who came to faith as equals. How are you doing with that?

We have all been afraid at one time or another. We all know what its like to experience angst or even panic. On Easter morning Jesus' friends, family, and disciples all had reason to feel fear, angst, and panic. They must have been asking, “Now what?”. That question has not changed. We, too, need to ask “Now what?”, “What shall we do?”, “What do I do?” Resurrection means “to get up”. Resurrection resists death. It resists just laying around. It resists the predisposition to give up and do nothing. This Easter morning we'll explore what resurrection looks like in our lives.

This Sunday at GNF: Go back to a time when you were about to start something new; something that created some angst and apprehension. It's one thing to launch into something new with all your ‘ducks in a row’, it's another to begin with a serious handicap or disability. Imagine having to continue parenting without your eyesight. Scary, eh? Israel was about to start something new despite numerous disadvantages. They were going in blind. They had to trust that when God led everything would work out. The same is true for GNF, especially now.

We are told that Jesus cast 7 demons from Mary Magdalene. In essence she was a crazy lady; the lady we shy away from or avoid eye contact with; the lady sitting on the sidewalk talking to herself. Today we’d say she has a psychiatric diagnosis of some sort. What ever else has been said of Mary she was definitely considered to be unclean, a sinner, a person to be avoided and even shunned. She ended up being part of a very enterprising group of women who everyone knew were providing financial support for Jesus and his followers, a group of women that others came to depend on. How would you feel about being taken from the very dregs of society to move about in circles far beyond your wildest dreams? It’s something that Jesus does for all who come into contact with him. What might he be calling you to?

This Morning... We will take a look at Christ’s relationship with two very different sisters, Mary and Martha. One values service and doing while the other seems more content to just be with people. One seems more concerned with fairness and justice while the other is quicker to surrender herself. Yet Jesus loved them both. Many scholars believe that he was very close to the two sisters and their brother Lazarus, that he visited there often and found, so to speak, a second home there. Some have suggested that that is why he raised Lazarus from the dead but I think that is why he allowed Lazarus to die. Though it did not change the sister’s personalities it did change them from the inside out which is the one hallmark of all real relationships with Jesus.

We look at the last chapter in the gospel of John. It is the story of the disciples going fishing despite being asked by Jesus to remain in the city till the Holy Spirit came. Maybe that’s why they went fishing. Fishing they knew – Holy Spirit, not so much. Maybe they were sitting on pins and needles and could barely handle the waiting. Sounds a little like GNF. We are in a kind of waiting mode with Thursday evenings and the upcoming retreat and wondering about GNF’s future. What is interesting in this story is not their obedience or lack thereof - not their excitement for the arrival of the Holy Spirit – what is interesting is that Jesus comes to find them and that he comes with power, assurance and grace. We should expect no less.

Today we will be looking at the parable of the Talents. Although "talents" in the context of the parable refers to money it was used by Jesus as a symbol of our faith and the gifts or "talents" that he has blessed us with. The essence of Christ's teaching is simple, "if you don't use it, you lose it". As true as that is in learning a new language or in playing a musical instrument or in keeping physically fit, it is also true in our spiritual lives. Having said that, it is not so much about the the hard work of practice as much as it is just "resting" in Christ and letting him "pump us up".

We continue our summer series, Parables: Small Stories, Big Ideas. The story of our focus today is the Parable of the Laborers. Many people think that this story is about fairness but in truth Jesus is addressing the fact that his hearers are not really hearing what he is telling them. Picture it.....God came to earth and told stories to people about HIS KINGDOM and all they could think about was their own lives. What is amazing is that God did not leave them in their foolishness, he was, as he promised so often, slow to anger and full of compassion. May you sense that reality for yourselves and your community this morning. May you find yourselves at the footstool of his throne of Grace.

There are several things going on this morning. The first and obvious one is that we will be celebrating the sacrament of Holy Communion. If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he did conquer death and hell for you and if you feel Him tugging on your heart’s sleeve then please join in. We will also take some time to remember the compassion of God to Wes and Linda P. and their family and also to us here at GNF for sparing his life one year ago and giving him back to us. Lastly we’ll continue our summer series “Parables: Small Stories, Big Ideas”, with a look today at the parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom. Don’t worry, by the end of this morning’s service it will make more sense to you. (I hope.) May you find a blessing of Peace and Grace this morning as we take time to turn our hearts towards God.

We are exited to begin our new series for the summer with our new pastor, Kasey V. starting us off today. Kasey will share his thoughts with us on "The Sower" from the book of Mark. We'll continue learning about stories Jesus told right through August including a fun 'Stories & Songs' Sunday in late July. So listen up and see what you can learn this summer from the best story teller of all.

This morning we look at Romans 5, a chapter in the Bible which outlines how we move from our natural life of death to the eternal life of God. And when we move into the life of God, we receive a gift from Him which we can choose to accept and open. But what would an all-powerful, all knowing God give us? Jesus gave us a hint when He said in John 10 that he came that we may have life, and have it abundantly. Join us today as we explore the contents of the gift which is given by God to anyone who asks.