Going West... Day 1

This past week, I went with Jaz Ghag, the specialized ministries coordinator for Mission Canada and George Werner, our intrepid Mission Canada leader out to the West Coast to lead several days of Missions Emphasis at Summit Pacific College. I took full advantage of the time to also visit with as many UCM campus ministries/ministers as I could. I will use the next several blogs to chronicle my wanderings and connect the reader with some of the great things God is doing through UCM ( see www.ucmonline.ca ).

My pictures are not all in yet, but I figured it would be better to get this up first and then throw the pictures into the mix in a few days.

Day One : Sunday
After I landed on Sunday morning, I dropped in on UTown Church, which was planted by Point Grey Community Church (which I planted twenty years ago). It was sort of like finally getting to see my granddaughter. You can get the links for both churches, and for UCM@UBC, the campus ministry, at www.pgcc.org  (look at the bottom of the home page). UTown meets right on the UBC campus in the midst of the growing community on the University Endowment Lands. It is an intergenerational campus church and I really wanted to see what they are up to. ( http://www.utownchurch.com/ )


Here are a few comments. First, it was one of those weekends. There was a UCM retreat, so many of the undergrads were gone. It was also the Regent College retreat, which took away another contingent. Tim Horman, their gifted pastor who hails from Australia, informed me that it might be a bit scarce. Well, it wasn’t.

Further, check out their digs at the UBC Forestry Centre ( the pictures will be up soon). Natural wood and natural light make it a gorgeous venue. Having been saddled with difficult places for the first years of their existence, this present facility is seen as a real gift. They serve coffee and pastries on the front end of the service. They provide a soup and bun lunch afterwards for a twoonie or whatever you can afford. Food and fellowship has been a part of their DNA from the very beginning.

The worship was deep and powerful. Without being loud or particularly upbeat (although it had its moments), it gave a real sense of uplift and provided an atmosphere of expectancy and openness. The announcements were brief and friendly. The worship pastor, Tracy Moar, called the gathering to pray for pastor Tim, who had just come back from Philadelphia where he had buried his 38 year old cousin. The congregation moved easily into prayer mode and it all seemed quite natural as hands were laid on Tim and different people led out in prayer.

Tim began his message by talking about his experience in Philadelphia and about being a sounding board for the pain of his cousin’s young widow. He then transitioned into Romans 12 where he lingered on the phrase, “ love must be sincere..”. He unpacked what sincerity in loving looked like and conversely what it didn’t look like, using examples everyone could relate to. He was intelligent, controlled and passionate. He was also prophetic, praying into the reasons for people’s reluctance to love the way Jesus would want them to love. He isolated two issues, first, those people who had been burned by being vulnerable. Love makes us vulnerable. And secondly , those people who simply did not care. He was speaking to those who were concerned that they didn’t care. As the service came to an end and communion was being served, he called these people to respond. Many people remained in their seats to pray or to go forward to receive prayer from the prayer ministry team.

At the level of the seemingly intangible, there was a strong sense of the Spirit’s presence. When Tim invited the Spirit to come, there was a very real sense that He was doing just that. It was more than words. There was an atmosphere of faith and possibility. There was also a strong sense that this was a community with depth. The leadership core was still together and made up of extraordinarily gifted and solid people. It gave stability in the midst of the transience and flux of the university.

UTown is surrounded by hundreds of student housing units, many of which are recently built. UBC is becoming a city in its own right as it develops its pricey land and takes on the appearance of a community that looks more and more like Whistler.

The vision for UBC ( with UCM, PGCC and UTown ) is one that I carried for many years. It is not only close to my heart, but it is in my spirit. Seeing it grow and mature is something I find deeply moving and gratifying. When I finally said goodbye mid-afternoon, there were deep emotions running through me. I am grateful for the opportunity to see the fruit of this ministry bless the rest of the country as well as receive from it.


Afterwards I billeted with my friend and former associate pastor, James Schiach. His family was off at a special celebration in Hawaii, so he and I “batched it”. James is one of the best people I know. Having left the vocational ministry years ago, he started building furniture. He has used his business as a means of Kingdom outreach ( see http://www.shiloliving.com/  ). James is a man of prayer. Prayer defines him. And God uses him – big time. Not only does he build furniture but he rebuilds the lives of those who work for him. He gives a hand up to the afflicted and addicted – many of whom owe the salvation of their souls to his faithful compassion and spiritual tenacity.