Around Town: Welcome, Gracepoint's community, 50 years of Knowing God

A growing number of Canadians believe that the current rate of immigration to Canada is too high, particularly citing concerns about how newcomers might impact the availability of affordable housing.

This is one of the main findings of a Focus Canada survey published by Environics Institute October 30.

So the timing is good for the Church Network for Refugee Welcome event this Saturday morning (November 4) at Tenth Church.

(Though refugees are not immigrants – the Canadian Council for Refugees says an immigrant is “a person who has settled permanently in another country. Immigrants choose to move, whereas refugees are forced to flee” – they might get lumped in with them.)

Two key groups working with refugees and refugee claimants – Kinbrace Refugee Housing & Support and Journey Home Community – will help lead the process:

This in-person gathering aims to bring together individuals and communities passionate about extending a welcome to refugees. No matter the arrival pathway into Canada, refugees are facing multiple pressures in areas of housing, mental health, employment, support and more.

By attending, you will have the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, learn from inspiring speakers, and participate in interactive workshops. Whether you have experience working with refugees or are new to this field, this event is open to everyone who wants to make a meaningful impact.

The gathering is hosted by CityGate Vancouver, which hosts conferences, consultations, community development processes, conversations and courses to “help churches engage their neighbourhoods and address the issues of our city in a full way.”

Just over the past few weeks they have also hosted:

Serve Our Schools (October 14), “A free, impactful event designed to envision how your church can partner with a local school in your neighbourhood.”
Reimagining Home (October 21), “Conversations and presentations about neighbouring, shared living, economic realities and how we can think differently about the places in which we live.”

Community at a Crossroads

It is refreshing to see a church in the midst of plans to better the community. Gracepoint Community Church in Surrey will host ‘Community at the Crossroads: Pacing the Way for a Stronger Tomorrow’ on the evening of November 8.

The event is described in this way on the City of Surrey site:

Join the effort to find solutions as communities deal with challenges like substance use, housing instability, food insecurity and related health issues. The aim here is to bring people together for an open conversation.

Tides of Change, along with the South Surrey/White Rock Community Action Team, is hosting a World Cafe with local faith and business community members .

Come together to share, listen and put yourself in someone else’s shoes.

The Eventbrite invitation states that the event is in collaboration with the South Surrey/ White Rock Chamber of Commerce, Gracepoint Community Church, Peninsula Homeless to Housing and Sources.

Knowing God at 50

Dr. James Packer has not received the kind of attention that he should have in BC’s secular press – though that is hardly surprising, given the nature of his work and the nature of the media.

But to the credit of BC Bookworld, they did note, more than a decade ago, that he is “one of British Columbia’s bestselling authors” and that “one of the bestselling BC titles is Knowing God.”

The book publisher, InterVarsity Press, has just released Knowing God: 50th Anniversary Edition, stating:

Over One Million Copies Sold

For half a century, J.I. Packer’s classic has helped Christians around the world discover the wonder, the glory and the joy of knowing God.

Stemming from Packer’s profound theological knowledge, Knowing God brings together two key facets of the Christian faith – knowing about God and knowing God through a close relationship with Jesus Christ. Written in an engaging and practical tone, this thought-provoking work seeks to renew and enrich our understanding of God.

Knowing God was named by Christianity Today as one of the top 50 books that have shaped evangelicals. With a companion Bible study, devotional journal and study guide, readers can explore these biblical themes for themselves in this new 50th anniversary edition.

Packer taught at Regent College for several decades, beginning in 1979. He passed away July 17, 2020. Go here for a Regent article remembering his legacy.

Nov 2023

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Around Town: Welcome, Gracepoint’s community, 50 years of Knowing God

Nov 2023

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