COUNCIL MEETING Highlights, April 30, 2013

(highlights from Pastor Bruce’s Report)
We are stepping into a new sermon series (both Attridge and Broadway) called “New Beginnings,” looking at the power and implications of the resurrection.  With the power of the Spirit of the risen Christ, and with renewed minds and steps of obedience that we can take, all kinds of new beginnings are possible in our lives.  Please be in prayer that this is a season of new breakthroughs and new beginnings in the lives of our people.

It feels like many exciting new beginnings are soon upon us.  The Broadway Gathering is starting a second Broadway community that will meet on Sunday nights.  We are excited about how things are progressing with our lead candidate in the worship role (Attridge), and anticipate a recommendation from Council at this meeting to bring to the congregation.  I’ve also been in conversation with one individual regarding our young adults role and some of the creative ways of funding and shaping this role as an intentional aspect of calling out and developing leaders from within our church.

In this Council meeting, we talked about new initiatives and opportunities in evangelism, feeding the poor in our city, hosting refugees, support for our long term missionaries, short term mission teams, and so much that we praise God for.  Our upcoming Annual Report is around the theme of “IMMESURABLY MORE” – longing for more of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives and in our church.  We tend to ask for such trivial and temporal things of this world – but God’s desire is to give us so much more of so much better.  Paul prayed that kind of audacious prayer in Ephesians 3, that God would do “immeasurably more,” through the power of the Holy Spirit, than we might ask or even imagine – that’s a lot more!

Reports were submitted by the Council Committees

• Governance Committee
• Financial Audit Committee
• Leadership Discernment Committee
• Personnel Resources Committee

Meeting Highlights

• Council approved a proposed Legacy Fund document. This is a policy to deal with larger gifts that are often associated with bequests, life insurance plans, publically traded securities, real estate, etc.
• The Encore Monday growth opportunities have been well received.
• There was a pre-marriage preparation day at FGCC Attridge on April 27. Seven couples participated in this day of equipping and marriage preparation. Huge thanks to all presenters.
• Maryanne Berge gave a report on her recent trip to Guadalajara to the Matthew Training Centre there. Tori Braun also went on this trip.
• An afternoon training session for all Children’s Ministry volunteers happened in March. FGCC is also hosting a pancake breakfast at the end of May to celebrate families and thank those that serve faithfully in CM each week.
• In our Attridge congregation, we have had 13 new Small Groups form in the past year
• A new missional community is forming in our Broadway congregation.
• Council approved a plan to develop a community garden on the green space east of the Attridge building.
• A plan for how to use the 2012 financial surplus was discussed. It was proposed that 50% be designated to Attridge renovation and building needs, with the other 50% to leadership development (including young adult leadership and possible future site leadership), strategic partners, and other ministry initiatives. (more details available upon request)

FGCC Finances – Year to Date – YTD – to March 31, 2013  -  Parentheses = negative number

Our Purpose
Our purpose as a church is for each of us to be transformed to be like the person of Jesus Christ. This happens for us as individuals and also for us together as a community.

Our Mission
Our mission is to be a covenant community that loves God, disciples one another, and reaches out from the river to the ends of the earth.

Confession of Faith
We believe in God as eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God created and sustains the universe. The eternal purpose of God the Father is to create a people who will bring glory to God forever. God alone is worthy of worship.

We believe that God became human in Jesus Christ. Jesus came to restore the world because humans have rejected God in disobedience. Jesus taught and modeled the way of God’s kingdom. He died on the cross, making it possible for us to accept a renewed relationship with God. He rose from the dead, broke the power of sin and death, and frees us to live in obedience to God’s will.

We believe that God the Holy Spirit invites all people to be reconciled with God and to join the global family of faith. Believers confess their faith, are baptized, and join in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and guided by the Bible, members of the church seek to live as followers of Christ and invite others to experience this new life.

• As Christians we are called to turn:
• from ignorance of God to a personal relationship with God
• from bondage of sin and past mistakes to freedom, forgiveness, and healing
• from individualism to interdependence with others in the local church
• from lifestyle choices that harm us, others, and the earth to choices that nurture wholeness, healing, joy and peace
• from hating enemies and ignoring neighbours to showing love and justice to all
• from loving possessions to sharing with all in need
• from aimless existence to a mission of representing and proclaiming God’s kingdom on earth.

As Christians we look forward to the day when God will once again send Jesus to bring all things under God’s eternal rule.

Click HERE for the complete Confession of Faith

Forest Grove Community Church is connected to a number of provincial and national organizations. They are listed below. Read More→

If you want to be added to our church email list, please click HERE and complete the information. You could also send an email to office@forestgrovecc.com requesting that we add you. Please include your full name and email address in the body of the email.

As part of our weekly gatherings, we invite people to worship by giving of their finances.

You can donate to FGCC by using pre-numbered envelopes. If you don’t have them, you can also use the blank ones in the pews. Make sure to include your name and donor number on the envelope. If you need pre-numbered envelopes, let us know by checking off the box in the bottom left corner of the envelope you get from the pew, or call the church office.

It is also possible to give through the interac machine in our church lobby.

For on-line giving, donors will need to select Forest Grove Community Church as a recipient in the “bill payment” part of their on-line banking. The process is described below:

On-Line Giving banks that Forest Grove Community Church has made arrangements with:

• Bank of Montreal
• Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
• Royal Bank of Canada
• Scotiabank
• TD Canada Trust

Donors should:

• Access their bank account on-line
• Select the bill payment option
• Select the “add payee” option
• Select FGCC as a payee
• Using their donor number as their identifier/account number, add Forest Grove Community Church to their list of payees
• Make a donation at any time and from any place where they had internet access

We occasionally do fundraisers for specific needs. These are promoted on our website and in our weekly gatherings. Fundraisers are approved by our church Council on a case by case basis. FGCC also supports work in many other parts of the world. This is part of our mission to “reach out from the river to the ends of the earth.”

Disbursement of funds is confined to FGCC approved programs and projects. Each contribution designated towards these approved programs or projects will be used as designated with the understanding that when the need for such a program or project is met, or cannot be completed for any reason, the remaining contributions will be used where needed most.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, and feel that God has called you to become a part of Forest Grove Community Church, we invite you to consider membership.

After all, every once in a while you may catch yourself thinking, “I probably ought to join FGCC.” But then the phone rings, the game starts, the microwave signals that your leftovers are ready, or something else equally significant captures your attention and off you go.

In spite of all the other exciting options in life, the time has come for some of you to seriously consider joining the church. We’ve developed this simple survey to help you determine whether or not you are ready to take the plunge. You know it’s time to join when…

• you pause long enough to read parts of the bulletin every week.
• people ask you where you attend church and you answer, “Forest Grove Community Church.”
• you participate in worship by putting a portion of your hard-earned money in the offering on a regular basis.
• you can complete the following statement: “Our mission is to be a covenant __________ that loves God, disciples one another, and reaches out from the river to the ends of the earth.”
• you have invited someone to join you for a FGCC worship service or other gathering.
• you find yourself gravitating toward the same seat when you come to worship services.

In either case, here’s what you need to do next. It really isn’t as difficult as you might think….actually it is a great deal of fun. If you are interested in membership, email the church office or phone 933-2266 to find out about the next membership class. The eight-week class will be taught and facilitated by one or more of the pastors, with input and involvement by members of the Membership Committee. Prayerfully, you will come to know class leaders and participants in a way that will provide a glimpse into the nature of covenant community.

In terms of membership qualifications, they are as follows:

• Confession of personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
• Evidence of the new birth
• Acceptance of the Confession of Faith (to be covered in the class)
• Believer’s baptism
• A willingness to support the ministry of Forest Grove Community Church with your time, talent, and treasure, and to be accountable to the church leadership in matters concerning your relationship to God and to others.

At the conclusion of the classes, a date would be set where your membership testimony would be shared with the church. Speaking in front of people can be unsettling (even terrifying)….but not to worry. We are prepared to profile your testimony by way of video….or perhaps have you share it in a way or setting where you would feel more at ease. The fear of speaking in front of people should be the last reason one might hold back on membership. But speaking fears aside, on that Sunday we would present you with a membership certificate and officially welcome you into the Forest Grove Community Church family.

Yes – see below.

Forest Grove Community Church Preschool invites applications for a part-time Teacher Assistant for the 2013-2014 preschool year. This role involves assisting a preschool teacher at Forest Grove Community Church. Teacher Assistants will be paid a minimum of 3 hours per school day. Class duration is two hours in length (9:15-11:15 a.m.). Teacher Assistants are expected to work a minimum of ½ hour for set-up and clean-up beyond the 2 hour class time (9:00-11:30). The remaining paid half hour per day will be used as class preparation time.  For more information about this position, please see the detailed job description.  To apply for this position at FGCC, please submit a resume including a cover letter to office@forestgrovecc.com.

*All FGCC Staff are expected to have beliefs and lifestyle compatible with our statement of faith and mission.

To apply for positions at FGCC, please submit a resume with a cover letter to office@forestgrovecc.com.

Baptism is a public statement of commitment to Jesus Christ and is available to all who have made that decision. We baptize by complete immersion in water. This signifies a symbolic death to self and life commitment to Jesus Christ. We have a special celebration for the dedication of babies and their parents, but we don’t baptize infants at Forest Grove Community Church.

In our tradition, baptism includes membership where one becomes part of the community. Those who want to be baptized, will be invited to participate in membership classes, which will provide an overview of what we believe (Confession of Faith), information about our church and denomination, why we baptize as we do, and what it means to prepare and share one’s testimony.

If you are interested in baptism for fall 2012, please contact the church office. Classes are currently underway and baptisms are planned for November 18 and 25.

Check out the celebrate section of our website for pictures of 2012 summer baptisms in the river.

If interested in baptism, please email the church office or phone (933-2266).

We want to connect with God when we gather as a church. Therefore, you could expect to hear the Bible read and songs sung about commitment to God. We also want to be focused on Jesus, God’s Son when we worship. We talk a lot about Jesus Christ at our church. This is because our main purpose at Forest Grove is to be transformed into people who are like Jesus. We also invite the Holy Spirit of God to be present in our lives in unique ways when we worship. The Holy Spirit helps us hear the Word of God in the Bible. We believe the Holy Spirit also helps us learn to live in community together. We call this covenant community. So, when we gather at Forest Grove, we listen to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as we carefully read the Bible together and respond to what God says there in His Word.

Attridge Location

Our Sunday corporate worship services at our Attridge location typically are about 80 – 90 minutes long. They start at different times during the year so make sure to check the “FGCC This Sunday” section of the website for this weeks service times.

Our services have a mixture of music, speaking, video, and sometimes drama and dance. Occasionally we have baptism and baby dedication components as well. Most of our music is contemporary and you can expect a full band to provide leadership (guitars, bass, drums, piano, vocalists, etc.). We value all styles and ages of music. Some of our songs are very new and some are very old, however, most of them have a contemporary feel.

About half way through our worship service, we invite children from 2 years old up to grade 6 to go to various kids oriented worship activities. This allows them to participate in part of an inter-generational service and to have something more designed for them.

Broadway Location

Come at 10:30 to enjoy a cup of coffee (usually Roastery and sometimes Starbucks). Some times of the year we have a brunch. It is always a good time to meet some great people. Kids are welcome too. We have a “play mat” set up with toys and books.

OK, so we sit a bit funny…
After coffee/brunch we gather in two sections of chairs that  face each other. In the middle is a large cross that reminds us to see each other through the eyes of Jesus. We want church to be more about “join me” than “watch me,” so we aim to focus on the cross (Jesus) and each other, rather than a stage front.

Our meeting time includes songs, readings, prayers, sharing as well as an interactive teaching time. Part way through our worship, we take a short break while the kids head to their own teaching time.  Most others tend to grab another cup of coffee.  Our teaching/discussion time follows ending around 12:15.  Click HERE for more details about our current gatherings.

Church is all about people working together. It is important that everyone has an opportunity to be involved in ways that are right for how God has created them. If you are interested in becoming involved at Forest Grove in new ways, check out the “ministry opportunities” section of our website (click HERE to be redirected to that section of our website).

*note that some areas of service require a police background check according to church policy. The church can help with this check. There is also training provided for all areas of involvement at Forest Grove.

*Note, the FGCC bursary process was revised in 2012. Please read all documents for changes.

Forest Grove Community Church has some funds available for student bursaries for Christian higher education. These funds are especially for students who feel a call from God to vocational ministry and who are enrolled in a Christian college or seminary for at least one year.

Students wishing to receive assistance will apply for a bursary to the Church Office. The deadline for all components of the application is October 1^st of the year they are attending (this includes all references, transcript, testimony, etc). We are firm on this deadline.  The Bursary Committee will review the application and administer the available funds in the Student Bursary Fund as it deems appropriate. Applicants must connected to and involved in Forest Grove Community Church.

Students who have been affirmed to receive a bursary will be informed in writing and will be expected to send at least one update regarding their educational growth to the church during the academic year. The funds will be sent directly to the educational institution and will be applied to the student’s tuition and/or institutional residence expenses.

Please click on the following to apply for a FGCC bursary.

FGCC Bursary Process (start here)

FGCC Bursary Application Form

FGCC Bursary Reference Form