We have moved to Trinity Lutheran Church (TLC), 7100 Granville Avenue, Richmond, B.C. We are blessed that Trinity's congregation has overwhelmingly supported our rental and use of the their beautiful facility. We will have room to grow. It is close to downtown Richmond, right across the street from Minoru Park. Please see the updates below for quotes,
timeline,
location, and
background on why we are moving.
"Thank You and Amen": Speeches and Prayers from our Final weeks at Broadmoor Baptist
On Sunday June 17th, SJR prayed for the Broadmoor Baptist Mandarin congregation who will be following us in the Sunday morning time and space in the North Chapel. Rev. Sean Love prayed this prayer for the leaders of the Mandarin congregation who joined us on the 17th:
"Eternal God, the heavens and the earth cannot contain you, much less the walls of this chapel. Yet you are pleased to be present where your people are gathered in your name. And so we pray that you will graciously guide and nurture the Mandarin congregation who will follow us in this time and space.
We commission and dedicate them to your service. We pray earnestly for their humility and readiness of heart to hear your word, and for your grace to obey it. Grant them success in testifying to your mighty name both at Broadmoor and beyond. Make every challenge a catalyst for greater truth and growth.
And, As you have cared for us here these many years, so we pray your continued blessing on your people who follow us. In Christ's name, AMEN"
On June 17th, SJR joined the congregation of BBC for the final part of their service to mark the end of this phase of our partnership. Carol Mager, past Congregational President of BBC, said the following about the seven years we have shared:
"It was just over 7 years ago that a few members of St John’s Shaughnessy in Vancouver approached Pastor Tom about the possibility of renting space from BBC to start a new Anglican church in Richmond. In consultation with the board it was agreed that we did not want to engage in a rental agreement with another church. You will remember that ECBC was established here at that time and most extra time and space was being used by them. The SJR folks were a rather tenacious group who just wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer! Following some further discussions with them it became obvious that they wanted more than just rental space, they wanted to partner with us to serve the needs of Richmond and to grow the Kingdom of God. Although we have different worship styles and philosophies of ministry we do share some of the same goals for ministry in Richmond. With a loosely structured partnership agreement they began their ministry here – first with weekly Bible studies for a core group who would form the initial congregation and a year or so later morning worship began in what we called the “old sanctuary” and what has now become known as the North Chapel. Over the years spent here we have partnered together in our children’s ministry and in some joint services at special times of the year. At the beginning of their ministry here at BBC they put “sweat equity” into the old end of building by updating and renovating the old sanctuary to make it more conducive to worship.
With the desire of our Mandarin congregation to now worship in the morning at the same time as our English service it became necessary for SJR to find a new place to meet. Trinity Lutheran on Granville Ave. will be welcoming them in July. This morning at their worship service they invited David Wang, Lily Zhou, and Yang Tao from the Mandarin congregation to join them for a time of commissioning and blessing of the Mandarin work that is already underway here.
I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the church to thank the members of SJR for the partnership we have shared, for the relationships that have developed between some of us and for the respect that you have shown the congregation and facility of BBC. As we commission you for your on-going work in Richmond I am pleased to say that you have finished well in this place."
Carol then blessed us with these words:
“Most merciful Father, We commission St John’s Richmond to your service in the next phase of their journey. Set them apart for your divine purposes in Richmond and beyond. We pray that you will send upon our brothers and sisters your heavenly blessing, that they may persevere in the faith and hope of your son Jesus Christ. Direct and bless them in their efforts to grow the kingdom of God through prayer, the ministry of the word, and loving witness. Prepare for them at Trinity Lutheran Church a warm welcome and a place to grow. Protect them in all perils, support them in times of trial, and help them by your Spirit to be of one heart and mind. The Lord bless you, and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace, both now and evermore, AMEN.”
During June, we will be packing up and cleaning up, and saying goodbye to our brothers and sisters at Broadmoor Baptist Church.
Thursday June 14th. Tours of TLC. 10 am and 7:30 pm. Drop by TLC for guided tours of the facility.
Sunday June 17th, 10 am. We say goodbye and thank you to the congregation at BBC, and will be prayed for as we set out on the next phase of the journey. We will then enjoy coffee and cake with Broadmoor.
Sunday June 24th, 10 am. We will mark God's goodness and faithfulness to us in these last seven years with a celebratory Holy Communion service, our last one in the North Chapel. Immediately following coffee, we will drive to TLC for some hymns and prayers in the new space.
Monday June 25th, 3 - 9 pm. Moving Day. Come and help pack up and clean up. We want to leave BBC in better shape than we found it, in support of the Mandarin community who will be meeting on Sunday mornings after we depart.
Sunday July 1st, 9 am. Our first regular Sunday morning service at TLC, beginning at 9am.
St. John’s Richmond Anglican Church (Anglican Network in Canada) has met at Broadmoor Baptist Church (BBC) for nearly 5 years on Sunday mornings. On November 23rd, the congregation of Broadmoor Baptist approved a ministry plan which will move their Mandarin service, which currently meets Sunday afternoons in the North Chapel, to the Sunday morning time slot. This move is expected to take place on the first Sunday of July, 2012.
The move will align the Mandarin congregation more closely with Broadmoor’s Sunday morning congregation, and open up possibilities to integrate other BBC ministries with the Mandarin congregation. BBC’s decision emerged from much thought and prayer, seems right for their congregation’s future, and is of course within their prerogatives as owners of the building. We are grateful for the notice we have been given.
This decision will affect SJR’s time and/or location of our corporate worship on Sundays. (BBC continues to welcome SJR to use their facility outside of the Sunday morning time period). Clearly, this will mean change, which may create anxiety, and will be a challenge for SJR as we move forward.
However, this is also an opportunity for us.
- To be thankful for God’s provision for us of salvation and transformation in the Lord Jesus Christ.
- To be thankful for God’s provision of BBC over the past 5 years of Sundays and 6.5 years of Thursday Bible studies. BBC has been an incubator for St. John’s. This has been a place of nurture. God has been faithful to us in this place, and has grown us and given us a ministry. SJR didn’t exist seven years ago!
- To reaffirm our twin callings: first, to glorify God and enjoy him forever, and second, to the mission and ministry of the gospel: to prayerfully consider how we can continue to bless others in Richmond and beyond.
- To remember that we are journeying with Christ in the wilderness of this world. God is cultivating in us the obedience of faith on our pilgrimage to a ‘city with foundations whose designer and builder is God.’ We continue to see in our sermon series the evidence of God’s gracious covenant faithfulness to his people, his guidance, and his sufficiency, even (especially) when Israel’s circumstances are tinged with discomfort and impossibility.
It is very important that we finish well while we are in this location. We are committed to loving and blessing BBC in the process, and to trusting (and praying for) God’s direction and timing and provision. We must continue to care for one another. This is not a time for complaining, but keeping our eyes on Christ, who provides living water on the wilderness journey.
The Board of Directors welcome input and prayer, and may be contacted during the week or on Sundays.
SJR Board of Directors
Tom Robinson (Rector’s Warden); Jen Selman (Treasurer); Christine Chen; Jimmy Lo; Robert Edwards
Rev. Sean Love (Rector); The Rev. Ben Roberts (Deacon).
On Sunday Nov 27th we ended the service with the blessing from Numbers 6:
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
"Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,
The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
"So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them."
In Christ,
SJR
Tom Robinson, SJR Rector’s Warden, announced initial details of our transition process on Sunday Dec 4th. Highlights of Tom’s announcement appear below.
What is our situation?
As announced on November 27, the congregation of Broadmoor Baptist has approved a ministry plan which will move their Mandarin service, which currently meets Sunday afternoons in the North Chapel, to the Sunday morning time slot. This move is expected to take place on the first Sunday of July, 2012. The move will align the Mandarin congregation more closely with Broadmoor’s Sunday morning congregation, and open up possibilities for BBC to integrate other ministries with the Mandarin congregation.
As for SJR, we are committed to loving and blessing BBC in the process, and to trust (and pray for) God’s direction, timing and provision.
The impact to us (SJR) is that the North Chapel is no longer available to us on Sunday morning.
The options for SJR can be framed as follows:
- The North Chapel would be available to us in another timeslot.
- We would need to find a new location if we wished to stay with our Sunday morning service.
- Or – alternatives outside of Options 1 and 2.
The Directors will be developing a plan in January 2012 which will help us to move forward, including:
- a needs assessment – for present and future (and some prioritization of those needs)
- a review how our established values and ministry objectives relate
- a look at our gifts, and how we spread the gospel here in Richmond
In the meantime, the Directors have discussed possible alternative spaces for a Sunday morning service, not to make a decision -- but to begin to assess what might be available in Richmond. There are many potential types of meeting spaces – traditional church buildings are one option, but there may be others also.
What can you do?
- Pray. Give thanks to God for providing this space for us at BBC 5 years ago. As Sean indicated, BBC has been an incubator for St. John’s. This has been a place of nurture. God has been faithful to us in this place, and has grown us and given us a ministry. Pray that God will now lead us forward. Pray that we (as a congregation) will be open to new opportunities and possibilities. Pray that he will provide us with a sense of how he would like us to connect with the City of Richmond. And pray that we will remember that we are His church, and that we need to wait and trust on him.
- Lend your talents. Consider being part of a task group when we get started in January. There are likely to be several:
- Needs Assessment
- Facility (identifying and assessing potential facilities)
- Finance
- Prayer
- Communication
- Give some thought to what could/should be our mission here in Richmond. Think strategically and flexibly – think “outside the box”.
What must we not do?
- We must not lose sight of Christ’s coming this season of Advent. We must celebrate the coming of our Saviour to the fullest -- ourselves, our families, and as a church family.
- We must not worry or complain -- God will provide for us.
- We must not take it on ourselves to “get busy and come up with a solution”. Let us pray before we act.
Questions / comments?
The SJR Directors welcome questions, comments, and feedback. (You may reply to this email update and your comments/questions will be forwarded to the Directors, or you are welcome to speak to them in person). They will present a plan for moving forward in January.
The Directors are: Jimmy Lo, Christine Chen, Jen Selman, Robert Edwards, Tom Robinson, with Rev. Sean Love and Rev. Ben Roberts.
Sincerely in Christ,
SJR
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