Everything we do this year will be surrounded by the theme of Increase Our Faith.
When we look at the word church, the word the Scripture uses is Ekklesia; which means the called-out ones. We often associate the church with a place or a building, this understanding often creates the thought that one must GO to church. The idea is that one must move locations to find and be in the presence of God. Here at LifeSpring, we recognize that the Ekklesia is the people of God – not the building of God.
Every good thing we learn and encounter together in this house: the amazing presence of God, worship, prayer, fellowship, genuine love for God, genuine care for others, Kingdom parenting, patient endurance, fruitfulness – none of these are limited to a location, they are available in and through you and me. This will be our focus on the pulpit. What does/can the Kingdom of God look like in our daily lives?
Andrea Soon wrote a devotion on August 8, 2025 after the Family Weekend that resonated in my spirit, I want to share a part of it here:
“What I noticed during the Family Weekend is that there are a lot of green spaces in LifeSpring. Whether I noticed it first hand, or it was brought up by others, I could see how we have created spaces that are green, especially for our kids.
I had a conversation with someone who pointed out that it was very rare to see so many generations in the same room that were not only comfortable interacting with people of their generation but across generations, both ways. Another person mentioned how the kids were welcome to be a part of everything, from our board game night to our sports night, there was always a space for them to participate and play with everyone. I got the opportunity to assist our children’s helpers over the weekend, and though I saw chaos, I also saw that we were green to the kids, that we were seen as safe people.
LifeSpring is unique because we are able to bridge gaps that can exist in the church (i.e. the generational gap), and because we have a 3 o’clock service, but I think that this is just the start. As we progress in our sponsorship of two refugee families, we will be challenged to bridge the gap between culture and trauma as well. This is no easy task, but the Family Weekend training was a first step, and as we grow individually and as a church to love God more, our capacity to love others will also increase.”
“Though I saw chaos… we were seen as safe people”. This world is chaotic; some people will never know the safety of a church family, some will be afraid of the church building. But what they don’t know is that you and I are the church. They don’t need to be in a place, they need to be with a person carrying the presence of God. They don’t need to meet the church building, they need to meet Jesus.
Church buildings can be scary. They are large buildings with giant crosses and usually Jesus on the cross! If you don’t know the significance of it, it looks terrifying! A safe place is not necessarily a location, a safe place is found in Christ and Christ is found in the Ekklesia, the people of God. Maybe it is your home, maybe it is McDonalds, or Tim Hortons or wherever it is – but people need to meet Jesus, not in a place, but from a person. You and I.