Location, Location, Location!

This is such a memorable slogan for the real estate industry, and it encapsulates our most recent development. As of this Sunday, September 1, 2013, we will be gathering for our weekly Sunday afternoon worship services in a new location!

Upon our arrival in Edmonton last November, we began meeting for Sunday worship, Bible study and fellowship just east of the city in someone's home. Fast-forward six weeks and it moved to our own home in Edmonton proper, a somewhat central location.

We have enjoyed having everyone in the home setting, but we believe that the door has been opened to us to meet elsewhere. A nearby church is allowing us to use their building on a weekly basis, for the cost of insurance as a measure of Christian good will.

Dejan met with the pastor at St. Timothy's Anglican Church just after the team left a couple weeks ago, and after signing the insurance contract and paying the small fee, we now have building keys and a weekly meeting location!

We will be meeting in a small chapel which is just beside the main sanctuary and is accessible through its own set of double doors (pictured here). The children's worship space will be in the nursery which faces both chapel and sanctuary. There are no stairs to climb for those who may need assistance, and the walkway is also not terribly long for shovelling in winter. The building also has a kitchen and enclosed courtyard.

We are so thrilled to be given this opportunity to meet in an existing church building! From a practical, logistical standpoint, we don't need to buy, haul, store or set up chairs. (Hooray!) We don't need a sound system due to the acoustics. And as long as we don't meet in the evenings, our use of electricity will be minimal, as the entire building was constructed with skylight ceilings. It is also fairly close to where we live.

From a spiritual perspective, we hope that by being in the community there will be no barriers preventing any and all who will from coming out. We recognize that meeting in a home is more personal, but for many it is a setting that exceeds their comfort level. It also means we have practically unlimited room for growth (this was a particular concern for our space at home for the children).

Praise God for His gracious provision! We are trusting on His promise in Jesus that "I will build My church" (Matthew 16:18). It is a privilege to serve Him here in doing this!