New Here

What To Expect

We look forward to greeting you at our 3:00 pm Sunday service! To make you feel more comfortable joining us, read below to find out what you can expect when you join us. Entering an unfamiliar place can sometimes be a bit daunting, but fear not, we hope to make you feel welcomed and at home with us upon your first visit.

Arriving to Church

Since we are located at Calvary Community Church, you’ll want to park in the school parking lot and enter via the South or East doors. Feel free to hang your jacket on the coat hanger before heading into the sanctuary where you will be greeted by one of our ushers and handed a service bulletin with some important church updates for the week. If it is your first time visiting, you will be given a Connect Card that you can fill out if you wish to and place in the offering plate when it comes your way. This is for us to get to know you more. You can also do this online by filling out the form at the end of this page.

You are welcome to sit wherever (don’t be shy and sit too far back though)! If you are new, don’t be surprised if some people come over to say hello! We are a very friendly bunch.

Our Multicultural Congregation

One of the first things that you’ll notice on Sunday is that people feel comfortable wearing their cultural attire. As a multi-ethnic church, we love to celebrate one another’s culture so you may see one in her Kimono or another wearing a traditional African dress or even some in colourful sarees. Don’t worry though if you prefer to come in your t-shirt and jeans, we want you to come as you are! Whether you dress casually, or you prefer to be suited up, we love how diverse our church members are and welcome all ages, nationalities and attire to our service.

Worship

Our congregation loves to worship with their spirit, mind, soul and body singing contemporary, Gospel, hymns and more genres, so it’s not uncommon to see some people dancing during worship, lifting their hands, saying “Hallelujah” or sometimes hearing the sound of the shofar. Our services are conducted in English, but you can occasionally see us singing in other languages too!

Announcements and Tithing

Right after worship, we have weekly updates announced and following this, you will be given an opportunity to sow a seed through tithes & offerings. You’ll see one of our Pastors or congregation then come up to bless the offering and pray for our children before they are dismissed to Sunday School. We also have a nursery available for children under 4 years.

Sermon

When our Pastors share under the unction of the Holy Spirit, they don’t prescribe to a pre-defined church end time, so we may receive the Word and have ministry time for over an hour. In general, our church service ends around 5:30 pm. You may be used to a shorter service so this could get some taking used to BUT we promise that the Lord is active and moving so, you will likely be well energized and fuelled as you receive fresh manna from the pulpit. If you need to leave early though, that’s ok – we bless you and are happy that you had some availability to join us.

As an extension of worship, don’t be surprised about how our congregation actively responds to the preaching of the Word. When a member agrees with something our Pastor says, it’s not uncommon for them to yell out “AMEN!” or to put their hand up as though to snatch the promise spoken, or even to stand up! We welcome all forms of worship that aren’t disruptive to the flow of the service.

After Church

Once the sermon is complete, our church service is officially over. This doesn’t mean that people won’t stick around to chat though. Most often, members of our congregation will gather around for the following hour or two to catch up with other members, to pray and sometimes to share a delicious meal in our Fellowship Hall downstairs. Our hope is that if it’s your first time visiting us, you’ll feel welcomed, blessed and make a few new friends before you leave too!

If you have any other questions about our service, feel free to contact us. We are more than happy to speak with you and look forward to meeting you soon!!

The Gospel

Do you feel like you live in the dark? Do you keep struggling to find a purpose and meaning in life, but you come up empty? Are you constantly searching for truth? Are you seeking ways to find peace and happiness in life?

If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, you’re not alone. You’re living in spiritual darkness—a human condition that’s the result of a broken relationship with God. It is evident from what we see around us that we live in a broken world and that we are in need of a Saviour who can shine light in the darkness. God is the solution and only He can fill in the emptiness of our hearts.

1. Man was separated from God by sin:

We were all created to live in harmony and in relationship with God. The Bible explains that because we’ve all sinned (turned our backs on God and chosen our own way), we are separated from God. We can never fix the problem or bridge the gap through our own efforts toward good works.

Consequently, our sin leads to death and eternal judgement. The penalty of sin is eternal separation from God.

Scripture references:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
There is none righteous, not even one. Romans 3:10
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. Romans 5:12
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:9
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

2. Man’s need for salvation:

Scripture calls us “objects of wrath” because God has to exert his wrath on those who break his law. The law demanded a sacrifice for the remission of sins through shedding of blood. Without someone stepping in to correct this situation, we cannot have the relationship with God that he intended. God in His divine mercy sent his only Son Jesus Christ to be that sacrifice because He loved you and me. He paid the price for our salvation with His own blood thereby saving us from the penalty of sin.

Salvation is God’s way of forgiving our sin and providing a means for man to receive eternal life now and in heaven. Salvation is by grace and a free gift for all. You can’t earn it, you can’t buy it and you can’t get it any other way other than simply receiving it.

Mark 8:36 says ‘For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul’. Death is inevitable and invades everyone regardless of age, gender, popularity or race. The wealth, fame, possessions that man has achieved including all pleasures of life will only last till the grave. All that matters is ‘if you die today, will you spend your life in eternity with God’? No matter what your background is or how grave your sins are, God loves you unconditionally. He is eagerly waiting to forgive and accept you just as you are with arms open wide.

Scripture references:
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Titus 3:5
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ. I Timothy 2:5
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. John 14:6
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:12

3. The greatest gift for you:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16

“For God”………………………………………….The greatest Lover
“So loved”…………………………………………The greatest degree
“The world”………………………………………The greatest number
“That He gave”………………………………….The greatest act
“His only begotten Son”…………………….The greatest gift
“That whosoever”……………………………..The greatest invitation
“Believeth”………………………………………..The greatest simplicity
“In Him”.……………………………………………The greatest Person
“Should not perish”…………………………..The greatest deliverance
“But”………………………………………………….The greatest difference
“Have”……………………………………………….The greatest certainty
“Everlasting life”………………………………..The greatest possession

Jesus Christ died on the cross paying the penalty for our sin thereby bridging the gap between man and god. God, out of His great love, created a way for you and me through Jesus so that we have direct access to the Father which we were previously unworthy to enter. That way has only been made possible through Jesus who paid the price in full. There is no more separation. Jesus, who was perfect and sinless, became sin for us so that we might become His righteousness.

Jesus endured pain, rejection and shame, that we might have the acceptance with the Father! He became a curse for us so that we might be redeemed from every curse of sin.

a. Jesus died for our sins : His death proved the power of God’s love over our sin
b. Jesus was buried : His burial proved the power of God’s justice over the flesh
c. Jesus rose from the grave: His resurrection proved the power of God’s righteousness over

Scripture References: 
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:12,13
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15: 3-4 
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. Galatians 3:13 
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13
Anybody who calls on his name have the right….John 1:12

4. Our Response:

The best part is that God invites each one of us to this life changing eternal relationship with Him. In order to know Jesus personally, we must do three things: Repent, Believe and Confess. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’ve come from, or what you’ve done—everyone is invited to accept God’s free gift of salvation. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. 

If you’ve never made the decision to follow Jesus and receive Him into your heart, then today can be your day. Right now, in this moment, you can become part of the family of God, you can have your sins forgiven, and you can have your life changed forever. Don’t gamble that you have time or can respond later. The Bible says, “Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near”. Isaiah 55:6 

Believe: Believe with your heart that Jesus is the Son of God and that He is able to forgive and cleanse you from all your sins. Receive the gift of salvation. 

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6 
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12

Repent: Admit that you have sinned and need forgiveness and reconciliation with God.  Repent and make a deliberate decision to turn from all your sinful ways. There is no sin too deep that God cannot forgive. The Holy Spirit will convict your heart and help you in the process. 

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out. Acts 3:19 

Repeat this prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner and I need your forgiveness. Your blood was shed for my sins. I believe you died on the cross for me and rose again from the dead on the third day. I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is the Lord and saviour of my life. 

I choose to trust in you and I want to fully surrender my life to you. I invite you to come into my heart now to take complete control and be the Lord and master of my life. Fill the emptiness in me with your Holy Spirit and make me whole. Thank you for saving and accepting me into your family. Amen

We are excited that you have accepted Jesus as your personal saviour and have now decided to follow Him. Welcome to God’s family! More than anyone, heaven is rejoicing over you today. There is no greater life lived than the one following Jesus. You can count on Him as He remains faithful to you till the very end even when situations change in your life.