Church Highlights
May 21, 2013
Update on Ilya Bantseev
As you may remember, we had Ilya Bantseev with us during our Spring Missions Weekend join us and speak about how God is working in Siberia, Russia. They are involved in doing wonderful work there – and with God's work, there is always opposition.
Here is an update from the Bantseev’s on the court case against Teen Challenge. Please continue to pray.
Dear Prayer Partners,
The court case today was postponed until May 29. The judge said that he needs more time to make a decision and to explain the reasons for it. We see it as God working in his heart, and it shows his struggle to proclaim a guilty verdict.
Yesterday, there were two meetings with the Orthodox professor. The first was a press conference where all the TV and newspaper journalists were present, and it seemed as though God closed his mouth to speak against our church. He spoke in general terms which did not do any harm to anyone. In the evening, there was a larger gathering of Orthodox believers, but not one journalist came. At that meeting, he spoke very strongly against our church in particular calling it a totalitarian cult. He spoke many lies and called for an anti-cult committee to be formed in our city. He said all Baptist and Pentecostal denominations are cults and need to be closed.
Please continue to stand with us in prayer for May 29. Our lawyers said the reason this court case is so important is because it will give our opponents grounds to start another investigation if they win. Their goal is to close our church and the Teen Challenge center, but our trust is in God!
How we thank God for your prayers! We so much appreciate you standing with us and for your encouraging notes! God bless you!
With Christ's love,
Ilya and Janet
To write Ilya and Janet Bantseev, use ibantseev@paoc.org
» For more information about Ilya and Janet Bantseev's ministry
About the Author
Pastor Dale Tollefson
Pastor Dale gives leadership to the Pastoral Care team, missions and the Toronto Community Churches. He and his wife Cathy also lead the MarriedLife Belong Group.
Dale is the proud father of three daughters, one son and one son-in-law. He is also a very proud grandfather!
He joined the team at APC in 2009. His home town is Mississauga, Ontario.
May 10, 2013
Excited Together
Pastor Chris Chase's favourite moment of our CATHEDRAL: DEDICATION service was that,
"It was so cool to hear 1000+ people cheer a countdown and begin to praise God even before a song was sung. There was a tangible excitement, togetherness and earnest 'Thank you God!' reverberated in all of us."
I know that you can say a GOOD AMEN to that!
About the Author
Kathy Jimenez
Kathy Jimenez serves on staff as the Media Designer, and part of the CreativeAPC team at APC. She loves to see others with gifts in the visual arts serving in the church and wants to increasingly make space for them, just as someone did for her. She is a mom to two little ones, who hang around her neck while she works in Photoshop; and makes titles for her husband's videowork between making meals. :)
On the APC team since 2002. Her hometown is Toronto, ON.
May 9, 2013
On the Shoulders Before Us
As we continue our little series that shares moments that we experienced and felt that were meaningful from this past weekend, Pastor Dale Tollefson helps us to grasp how momentous it is that we have opened our new Student Ministries Building:
"I thought the most pointed moment was when Pastor Mulligan prayed the dedication prayer on Sunday night. It put the significance of the dedication in perspective when he said that 27 years ago he stood on the same stage to dedicate the church building. It helped me understand that we are building for a new generation on the shoulders of those who have gone before us."
It's not something that happens everyday, every year – or even every decade. And it's a legacy that we get to pass on to the generation in front of us, just as those did who came before us.
About the Author
Kathy Jimenez
Kathy Jimenez serves on staff as the Media Designer, and part of the CreativeAPC team at APC. She loves to see others with gifts in the visual arts serving in the church and wants to increasingly make space for them, just as someone did for her. She is a mom to two little ones, who hang around her neck while she works in Photoshop; and makes titles for her husband's videowork between making meals. :)
On the APC team since 2002. Her hometown is Toronto, ON.
May 8, 2013
Every Culture, Every Generation
Entering the CM wing on Sunday evening, my intention was to help people find their way if they weren't sure which room to be part of for the dedication prayer. As I stood and watched hundreds of our church family - of all generations and cultures coming together - I became overwhelmed with a sense of thankfulness to the Lord for His faithfulness.
About the Author
Claudette Perry
Claudette Perry is the executive assistant to our Senior Pastor, Keith Smith. She is helping out with our new Children's Building Expansion project by being the liaison between our church staff and the project manager, Ron McArthur.
She has been part of the APC team since August 2009.