Every parent's nightmare | Death, the Beaches and Regent Park

Every parent's nightmare | Macleans.ca - Canada - Features

“Sometimes when we touch
The honesty’s too much”

Such were the epic words of a song I could never quite figure by Dan Hill. I was 11 when it was released and I remember a few sisters enthralled with the Canadian singer/songwriter.

Hill has written an autobiographical account of his family's involvment with Eric Boateng, the young man shot outside a local jail in 2007.

My interest in this story is on several levels. First, the sheer drama of how one family without Christ tries to handle a bad family problem. Second, the connection to the Beaches and Licks, two of my favorite haunts as a High School student in the early 80's. And third, the connection to Regent Park. I will be driving right beside that neighbourhood tomorrow morning (today!) and hope I pray for it like I try to do every time I pass by.

Take note that there is offensive content in the article and please do not read it if necessary.

TBS Open House

Redeeming The Time: TBS Open House

Kirk has an informative post on the February 21st Open House at TBS.

Here is the basic schedule...

9 AM - Drop in and orientation, personal tours.
11:00 AM - Refreshments
11:15 AM - Chapel - Kirk Wellum
12:15 PM - Lunch
12:45 - 2:50 PM - Guided Group Tour, Q&A
3:00 - 5:00 PM - Church History Lecture - Dr. Michael Haykin.

Ecclesiophilist: Concerning Announcements

This was a pretty witty little ditty! Read the whole thing....

Ecclesiophilist: Concerning Announcements:

A Sample: "Earnestly desire such announcements, but especially that you may read the bulletin. Announcements are of some value but the bulletin is greater. For now we announce in part and we know in part. But the bulletin gives full and detailed information so that your knowledge of ministry happenings may be complete. One who makes an announcement edifies a particular ministry. But the bulletin edifies the whole church. So then my brethren, listen to the announcements but do not neglect the bulletin."

Worship in Song Conference - Two Weeks to Launch!

Well, call us nice guys. We decided to open up about 10 more spots for the Worship in Song Conference. So, if your team was thinking of coming and thinking there was not enough room... email now! Operators are standing by! Send an email with your full name to julian[at]gfcto[dot]com. But please be quick... we really don’t have much more space!

I also got word today that our gift count for registrants should be a little bigger. Some of this will depend on shipping and friendly customs agents, but it looks promising. We love to give stuff away! You can pray it gets here on time.

If you are already registered, please feel free to bring your instrument (no pipe organs please – not enough room) for the workshop time. I am really excited about these workshops. Our goal is to pool resources and humbly learn from one another. Different folks from Grace Fellowship Church will be leading each workshop and serving you by directing the conversation. It underlies one of the major truths of this conference – we don’t know it all! We want to learn from you.

I perused the list of registrants today and see lots of names I know and lots I don’t know – about 50-50 I would guess. That’s great! Another great benefit of times like these is forging new relationships with brothers and sisters in the Gospel.

So, register today if you are coming. And we will see you on March 1^st... bright and early!

Free Stuff at the Worship in Song Conference

Free stuff.

Why do we love getting stuff for free? I have watched pastors trample one another to score a free book or chocolate bar. I am not joking. I was in a store last year when a sales clerk got stampeded as he brought out a flat of some toaster ovens or something. Not free, but a loss leader and people went nuts.

Ah well, who doesn’t like free?

Those folks who come to the Worship in Song Conference are going to get some free stuff. Of course, they pay $10 to register, but that hardly covers the cost of what we hope to give them. I won’t spoil all the secrets, but I think it will be fun.

There are officially only THREE spots left for the conference. Since it remains a couple of weeks away, we are going to start a Waiting List for those who register after those three spots fill. If there are any cancellations or we can increase our venue, you will be contacted on a first come, first served basis. And then you can get your free stuff!

38 Hindrances...

In my class on Worship at Toronto Baptist Seminary, I asked my students to identify five ways they are a hindrance to the Corporate Worship of God. Their lists were very interesting and I assembled a bit of a highlight reel here. I think it is a great question to ask yourself before next Sunday – how do I hinder the worship of God at my church? Here are some of the items my guys came up with...

1. Not even thinking about how God desires to be worshiped
2. Sin in my life
3. Not showing up at all
4. Being grumpy
5. Not arriving grateful for the cross
6. Not praying in advance
7. Being tired or lazy
8. Taking pride in my contributions to the service
9. Distracted by the details and running of the service
10. Showing up late
11. Processing other things than what is happening in the service
12. Worrying about what my kids are doing
13. Looking for a pen and writing a cheque
14. Not fixing relational problems with others in the church
15. Thinking more about the process of worship than the One I am to worship
16. Roaming mind
17. Pride in thinking I could do better than what the person up front is doing
18. Not going to bed early enough on Saturday night
19. Watching car races [insert your program of choice here] so that a) I am late for services and b) my mind is dwelling on them not the Lord
20. Not worshiping God through the week
21. Not paying attention to what I sing or say in worship
22. Worrying about what I wore
23. Wanting the service to be perfect and growing discontent with mistakes
24. Being more excited about friends than God
25. Timing the pastors prayers
26. Viewing the singing as a time of entertainment
27. Trying to get friends to laugh by distracting them in immature ways
28. Enjoying the melody of a song more than delighting in God
29. Pride of thinking I could play a certain instrument better
30. Criticizing every little aspect of the service in my mind
31. Pride of thinking God must be impressed with the way I am worshiping!
32. Doing outward things in order to gain others’ attention
33. Sitting with people I know will lead me to talk and not pay attention
34. Thinking about the problems of my week rather than on the worship of God
35. Not confessing sin
36. Failing to prepare for worship
37. Over-analyzing songs and sermons so that I never think of Christ
38. Doing a shoddy job in my contributions to corporate worship

Got any to add?

D.A. Carson on "What is Evangelicalism?"

SermonAudio.com - What is Evangelicalism?

We were delighted that in his recent preaching engagement with the Toronto Spiritual Life Convention, D. A. Carson agreed to also speak at our Sovereign Grace Pastor's Fellowship.
Dr. Carson was very helpful by explaining how different pre-suppositions lead to different conclusions on the nature of evangelicalism. He then went on to explain how he builds his definition - and, then gave it. Whether you call yourself an evangelical or not, this is must listening in order to understand the movement as a whole.
Due to the sensitive nature of some of his answers, the Q. and A. which followed was not recorded. (But, boy, it was good!)
You can download the sermon for free by clicking the link above.

More Baptisms at Grace Fellowship Church!

This Sunday will, Lord willing, be another highlight reel in the life of Grace Fellowship Church. We are having a baptism service in the evening where three will publicly proclaim their faith in the Lord by following Him into the waters of baptism. Baptisms are always wonderful, but this one is a little more special as I am scheduled to baptize my mom.

It is one of the great privileges of my ministry to have much of my family a part of our church. What is an absolute delight for me is to watch the Lord work in their hearts independent of me – it is a joy that is hard to explain.

Anyway, please pray for my mom and Tom and Peter who will all give testimony to the Lord’s saving work in their lives, then be baptized at the local pool. We will meet at Timothy Christian School for the first part of our service then make the one block pilgrimage to the pool. (I love baptisms in the pool! It is about as public as you can get in snow-covered Toronto!! Speaking of which, I just looked outside and it is starting up again! Another couple of inches with freezing rain to add to the two feet on the ground!!)

After the baptisms, we will head back to TCS for time in the Word and a glorious season of praise to God in song. Pray that God will use the testimonies of the three and the preaching of His Word to bring even more souls to Himself!

The Lord continues to bless our church. We are undeserving.

Keeping to the Centre: Spurgeon on How Paul Evangelized Lydia of Thyatira

He might have been so interested in his enquiries about Thyatira as to forget to speak of the way to the city of light. A dozen subjects might have claimed attention, if his heart had not been set upon one object. He could have spoken of his journeys, and even of his plans, without actually preaching Christ to her. He might have spoken about the gospel, as I fear we often do, and not have spoken the gospel itself. Some sermons which I have heard, though faultlessly orthodox, have contained nothing that could convert anybody; for there has been nothing to touch the conscience or heart. Others, though very clever and profound, have had no possible bearing on the needs of the hearers; and so it was little wonder that they were without result. But I am sure Paul's talk would aim straight at the center of the target: it was evidently addressed to the heart, for we are told that it was with the heart Lydia heard it. After all, it is not our most orderly discourses, nor our aptest illustrations, which bring people to Christ; but some little sentence which is slipped in unawares, or some burning word which comes straight out of our own heart's experience. There would be sure to be many such that day in that earnest simple talk by the river side. Let us multiply such conversations, if we would win more Lydias for the church.

Registration Almost Full!!!

Still thinking about attending the Worship in Song Conference on March 1^st? You had better think fast, as there are only 14 spots left before we cap registrations! You can register today by sending an email to julian[at]gfcto[dot]com. Include your full name and put "Worship in Song Registration" in the subject line.

We will begin a waiting list once we reach our limit. If there is a considerable number on the list we are open to changing venues, so keep an eye here and in your inbox to verify things closer to the date.