Catlin Allen believes in uniting a generation by testimony through creativity.
There’s a new movement in town. Atesto – Portuguese for ‘testimony’ – is about empowering the local church, encouraging worship and fostering creativity in a new generation.
If you’re at the York Theatre on Commercial Drive
this Saturday (October 4), you’ll experience “a powerful night of stories of overcoming about life and freedom, uniting a generation by testimonies through creativity.”
Catlin Allen, who is organizing Atesto, says: “We are about uniting a generation in Vancouver and doing it over stories (testimonies) – very powerful!” He will be joined by storyteller Clair Doubroff and Justin Mason, who will tell of God’s work in his life through rap.
One truly uplifting testimony on the Atesto site is that of Menwoh Waines. Here’s a taste from the video:
Hi, I’m Menwoh, all the way from . . . Liberia, Africa . . When I was actually born, my parents thought, “This kid, he doesn’t need to be in our family because he is witchcraft. If he stays in our family, he is going to witch our kids, so let’s put him on the dump site where we don’t give him any food. . . .
Menwoh, who was abandoned in Liberia, believes God has a purpose for every life.
But unfortunately there’s a verse in Jeremiah 29:11 which says that God has a plan for each one of us according to his purpose for our lives. . . .
There was a missionary who was living in this village and his name is Jeff. . . . One time he was working in the village and said, “Look at this poor kid who is about to die in this village. How can we help him? Well, let me take him and carry him to my house and try to feed him and give him clothes to wear.”
Then, later on, the same missionary came all the way back to Africa. He said [to] some other missionaries that sent him to this village – their names are Dave and Audry Waines [missionaries from Metro Vancouver]: “Hey look, we have a kid who is dying in this village. We gotta go and help him before he dies. . . I’ve been living with this family for almost nine years. They are a very great family. . . .
So the missionaries, they did all they could do, they did everything – now I’m where I’m at today. It’s only by God’s grace. Look, if you don’t know where you’re at today, keep focus, because there is a plan for you.
Like
Chapel, which Catlin is also involved with, Atesto draws many young people together. Bless them!
Churches on the move
Churches are on the move. Well some are, and some are sending out a portion of their membership to plant a new church. Here are three that come to mind right now:
Tenth Church Kitsilano at St. Mark’s
Tenth Church Kitsilano will hold its first worship service at the St. Mark’s building October 5.
As Kitsilano High School is being rebuilt, the congregation of Tenth Church Kitsilano has just made the trek north eight blocks to the St. Mark’s Anglican Church building, at 2nd Avenue and Larch Street. (The St. Mark’s congregation has not met in the building for some time, and now shares with St. George’s near the Vancouver General Hospital.)
The congregation is clearly determined to settle in quickly. Although they just moved into the new building immediately after their last service at the high school on Sunday (September 28), Tenth Church Kitsilano had already hosted a Neighbourhood Family Fun Night the day before. And they are taking part in a Moving Into the Neighbourhood workshop with the other Tenth worshipping communities (Mount Pleasant, 3rd Service, East Van) this weekend.
Of course, Kitsilano is not the only arena of activity for Tenth Church – their
East Van launch will take place October 18; more on that later.
Vancouver East Vineyard at St. David of Wales
Vancouver East Vineyard is now meeting at the St. David of Wales building in East Vancouver.
Over on the east side of town, another Anglican Church will host a new congregation. As of September 7, Vancouver East Vineyard will meet at the St. David of Wales Anglican Church building. Lead pastor Gordie Lagore said:
After 11 wonderful years at the Salvation Army on Commercial and First, we are moving to our new church home at St. David of Wales Anglican Church . . . one block northeast of Nanaimo and Hastings in the heart of the Hastings Sunrise community (East Village). Our church was first planted in 1989 in the Hastings Community Centre and it is our pleasure to be back in this vibrant neighbourhood. We feel honoured to be able to meet in the historic St. Davidʼs church . . . and to share this beautiful location with the Kiwassa Preschool, the Nisgaʼa Tsʼamiks Vancouver Society, Girl Guides and several community choirs!
St. David of Wales closed its doors as a worshiping community in February (see a brief report
here).
Artisan Mount Pleasant Parish sets up in Grand Luxe Hall
Artisan’s Mount Pleasant Parish will begin meeting in Grand Luxe Hall this weekend.
Beginning this Sunday (October 5), the Artisan Church will have a second parish, and it will be meeting at the intimate 120-seat Grand Luxe Hall in Mount Pleasant.
Artisan describes itself as “a neighbourhood parish church in and for the city of Vancouver. Our core motivation is to be a movement that joins God in the renewal of all things.” Both
pastors of the Mount Pleasant Parish – Lance Odegard and
Peter La Grand – are accomplished musicians. Artisan’s Downtown Parish gatherings will continue to meet at the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library.
VIFF updates
Anyone wishing some guidance through the morass of films available at the Vancouver International Film Festival (
VIFF), might want to check out these two sites:
*
FilmChat: Peter Chattaway wrote on films forever for us at
BC Christian News, and he’s still a master at his craft.
*
Soulfood Vancouver: I don’t see anything so far, but the team usually likes to comment on films; I doubt they’ll be able to resist for much longer.
Related
