Links:
Set an alarm to pray with us every noon:
O God, with all our hearts, we long for you. Come, transform us to be Christ-centred, Spirit-empowered, Mission-focused people, multiplying disciples everywhere.
Important dates:
- Save the date for General Assembly: June 9–12 in Calgary, Alberta
- Save the date for the Jaffray Offering in October
Video transcript:
Hi Alliance family, in Southern Ontario, the end of May is gardening season. Every hardware store and garden centre feels alive with activity and expectation, and I say “feel” because I’ve actually never been inside of one of those before.
But gardening is such a tangible reminder throughout the Bible of our relationship with God. Isaiah 58 prophesies that God’s people will be like “a well-watered garden whose springs never fail.” Jesus picks up on that in John 4 when he says, “He gives water that wells up to eternal life.” And again in John 7, “Whoever believes in me... rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Of course, later in John 15, he describes himself as the vine and us as the branches.
We’re entirely dependent on him as our source. So, I want to invite you and remind you to pray and connect with the vine. Every day at noon, I’m praying the vision prayer:
O God, with all our hearts, we long for you. Come, transform us to be Christ-centred, Spirit-empowered, Mission-focused people, multiplying disciples everywhere.
Would you join with me in setting an alarm for noon?
Also, we’re seeking intercessors to join specific discernment teams for our four growth drivers of our strategic framework. Those are Prayer, Leaders, Ministries, and Stewardship and Effectiveness.
If you might be interested in praying and being part of those, please reach out to me directly. Our latest national prayer call on April 30th was encouraging.
You can find a link to the themes that were identified during that prayer time [above].
I think these are great items to share with your elders, your churches, as further prayer prompts as you gather to pray in your contexts.
Now, almost a year from right now—June 9-12 in 2026—is General Assembly. Now that feels far away, but I have already asked a few guests to consider joining us for our evening sessions, and I’m trusting Jesus in his leading for our time together.
Would you pray with me for his leading in and through the planning?
And don’t forget to mark your calendars and plan to participate together, because I believe these shared experiences are great opportunities to connect with and encourage one another. Yes, voting and business matters are important, but I’ve had a number of people share with me that Assembly in 2024 felt like it was a holy, unique moment.
One person recently shared at Global Gathering—God healed her food allergies at our last Assembly. The Spirit was at work among us, and I have expectation that he will be again.
Another really important save the date is our yearly missions focus—The Jaffray Offering. Would you consider already saving a weekend in October to participate with your other sister churches across the country?
Last year in October, the Alliance Churches in Saskatoon held a missions weekend, and then on Sunday, they all came together in one location. It was amazing—unity, humility and the pursuit of Jesus and his mission.
I want you to watch some highlights from that special event and trust that it would encourage your heart today.
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I’m so encouraged to have witnessed how prayer and mission intersected at this conference.
Bernie, as he teaches our Alliance History and Thought course, reminds us that prayer and mission are two sides of the same coin. You can’t have prayer without mission or mission without prayer, and deeper engagement in one should lead us to deeper engagement in the other.
And so one last thing. August 1-4 is the Joint Missions Convention, hosted by the Canadian Chinese Alliance Churches Association, being held at Bayview Glen Alliance in Toronto. This is for all Alliance churches, as there are multiple language tracks. I realize that most people attending will be local to the GTA, but if you’re close by, I don’t think you want to miss it. There’s going to be a number of international workers there. I’m going to be speaking. This is another great opportunity to be together and hear about what God is doing.
Friends, these are great days. What a privilege to serve each other as we serve our King together. Praying for you. Have a great month and talk to you soon.