July 08, 2008
This week @ Port of Grace July 6-July 13
Sunday, July 13
Morning Service: It's communion day! And on Communion day we focus on, you got it, the Lord's Supper.
Sunday Evening: It's a family BBQ at the DeFreitas'. BYOB (that stands for bring your own beef) Let's stick to simple things like hot dogs, burgers and sausages. Bring enough for you and a little extra for someone else. We'll provide the drinks!
Posted by ed
June 30, 2008
This week @ Port of Grace June 29-July 6
Sunday Teaching: Lie #3: God doesn't want me to enjoy life! Ever felt like God was out to rain on your parade. Christianity has often been know as the religion of the do's and don'ts. Especially of the don'ts. Is that really the full extent of what God is after when he calls people to himself? When you consider what God did in creating us, this earth, people, and the trouble he went through to win us back into relationship with himself, to believe that he doesn't want us to enjoy life, is simply to believe a lie.
Family Movie Night: Join us on Sunday evening at 6:00PM for our first ever Family Movie Night. We're watching the movie "Evan Almighty." Join us for some movie fun, and eh, bring a friend.
Posted by ed
June 24, 2008
This Week @ Port of Grace
Wednesday 25th - Come and Pray: Join with your brothers and sisters as we call on God for the needs of our church family, our city and the world.
Saturday 28th - Pizza Night: join us for set up at 4:30PM or come help serve at 5:30. You can also come and make some new friends as our family connects with the people coming through our doors. Take down is at 6:30PM.
Sunday 29th - Teaching: Lie #2 - Success is defined by status, power, wealth etc. - Come and see how seeing the world through this lie will and is impacting your life - and take the time to look at Jesus' truth that sets us free.
Posted by ed
May 19, 2008
New Phone Number at Port of Grace
Our new number at Port of Grace is 905-329-8685.
In the interest of cutting back some of our costs, and being better stewards of the money God entrusts to us. We have changed our phone number. This will save us a significant amount of money, and make that money available for better Kingdom uses.
Our new number at Port of Grace is 905-329-8685.
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May 05, 2008
This Week at Port of Grace
Assembly of Prayer: This Wednesday we come together at 7:00 PM to pray. We're praying specifically for our church ministry and our finances.
Garage Sale: This Saturday at the Akershoek's, our elementary kids are having a garage sale to raise funds to place a roof on an orphanage in Swaziland, Africa.
Mother's Day: This Sunday is mother's day. We celebrate all the ladies, who biologically or by personal choice, choose to mother the children in their lives by being caring, nurturing examples of the God's love.
Posted by ed
April 30, 2008
This Week at Port of Grace
RAISE THE ROOF CAFEFriday Evening, 7-10PM. We're having a cafe. Our aim is to raise funds, through donations, to put a roof on a care center that cares for boys and girls who have been orphaned by aids, in Swaziland, Africa. The roof on a portion of this care center was destroyed, leaving the space unusable. We're going to change all that.
Join us for an evening of great music, deserts and great fun as we make a difference, because of Jesus in Swaziland, Africa.
WE ARE FAMILY!This Sunday we wrap up our series, "We are the Church!" We continue to seek to be the people God has called us to be, in our world, for his glory and for the building of his kingdom.
Posted by ed
April 23, 2008
This Week!
This is a busy week...
Run for the WorldJoin us Saturday morning at 9:30AM at the OM offices for the "Run for the world 5K run." Operation Mobilization will host a run to raise funds for different organizations
meeting worldwide needs. People in every continent, okay, not Antartica, will be participating in
this run. Money raised will go to Habitat for Humanity Niagara, Sportslink Sport Camps, Hiding Rehab Center (Kazahkstan), Life & Love Center (Brazil), Ball of many colors (faith sharing tool.)
Pizza NightJoin us for Pizza night this Saturday. If you're just inquiring about Pizza Night, it's for anyone who needs a meal. It's free and there are no strings attached. If you're a member of Port of Grace and you want to help out, we need help with set up, serving, and take down. Set up starts at 4:30PM.
Sunday ServiceOur focus this Sunday is the wrapping up of our series on the "The Church."
Jack and Jill Baby ShowerRecently we heard from some neighbours who moved to Port Colborne from Nova Scotia. They're having a baby girl any day now and because of the move and a job that didn't happen, they find themselves in a bind. Well, Port of Grace style, we want to help. We're doing that by throwing them a baby shower this Sunday at 6:00PM Upstairs. Come on out!
Posted by ed
April 14, 2008
This Week...
Lord's Supper: Come and celebrate the Lord's supper with us. Remember what he has done on our behalf and let it bring hope into your life of the freedom and victory you enjoy in Jesus Christ.
We are the Church: We've been talking about what Jesus had in mind when he created the Church. We started out by looking at how do you become part of this family we call the church. We looked at several churches the Bible paints as models of what being Church is all about. This Sunday we look at the things we mentioned in our recent church survey and compare them to the scriptures as we wrap up this series on what it means for us to be Church.
Posted by ed
April 02, 2008
This Week!
Gord Abraham's Induction Service! Gord & Ruth Abraham, have moved on to pastoral ministry. However, we're glad they didn't move too far away. Gord is pastoring Port Colborne Baptist and this Sunday is his Induction Service. As brothers and sisters we want to share in this celebration with him. The service starts at 3:00PM at Port Colborne Baptist. If you need a ride, please talk to pastor Ed or one of the other leaders.
Sunday Morning We've looked at their lives before. We've tried to learn from their example. However, as we consider what it means to be the Church that Jesus had in mind, it's hard to discuss that, without talking about the first place where Christ-followers were called "Christians" or "Little Christs." They are the Church of Antioch, and we want to learn what it was that was going on in and through them that made them an example of what it meant to be Christ-followers and Church.
Posted by ed
March 17, 2008
This Week! - Good Friday Breakfast
If you know you're going to make it to the Good Friday Breakfast, we need to know you're coming. If we don't know you're coming, there's no way to plan for you to be there. So, please, if you haven't signed up already, please do so. Send us an e-mail, or call us, but let us know that you will be there.
This is a family affair, so we're looking for people to help. People to help set-up. People to help Cook. People to help serve and people to help clean up and take down.
We appreciate all your help in making this possible.
The service will be followed by a short service, right upstairs. We hope you can make it!
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January 23, 2008
This Week...
1. PIZZA NIGHT: Join us on Saturday at 4:30PM to set up.
2. SUNDAY MORNING: in this process of looking at discipleship, having looked at the priority of discipleship, the cost of discipleship, and the marks of a Christ-follower. This week we turn our attention to the God of the disciple. What's he like? Has he always been this way? Has the plan been the same all along, or has he had to adjust it? Come and find out!
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December 20, 2007
This week - POG Christmas Service
Please don't miss this, there will be no morning service at POG this week! Instead we're having a Family Christmas Potluck at 5PM, followed by a Christmas Service at 7PM. It's going to be a great time, so plan to come! If you want to bring something for the Potluck and you haven't been contacted, please call the church at 905-834-2170. If you don't have anything to bring, please come anyway, there will be plenty for everyone! This is one time where you can sleep in on Sunday morning and not feel guilty about it. Better yet, why don't you invite a neighbour over for brunch? And while you're doing that, why don't you invite them to the Christmas service? Either way, it is our hope that your Christmas is filled with Peace and Joy!
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December 16, 2007
Church This Morning - Sun Dec 16
If you're wondering whether there's church this morning. I'll be there! Having said that, there's a lot of ice falling presently 8AM. If you're coming from out of town, and even if you're not, and you still intend on coming, I invite you to be really, really careful. If you're thinking, this is the kind of morning you really need to stay home, then do that!
A good Sunday to you!
pastor ed
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November 30, 2007
This Week at POG - Prepare Your heart for Christmas
It's time to prepare for Christmas. No doubt you've started. It's time to get the tree, to check the lights, to dig out the decorations. It's time to bake the cookies and hang the stockings. Time to shop for gifts and wrap presents, attach the tags and put on the bows. It's time to address, send and receive cards to people you might not have heard from all year long. It's time to go away to, or welcome the family home for the holidays. it's time to prepare for Christmas. Still, in the midst of all this preparing, it's easy to miss the most important preparation of all, one we might not spend much time, if any, thinking about. This Christmas, let's prepare our hearts for Jesus who came 2000 years ago. Jesus, who comes again this Christmas. Jesus who wants to come into our world everyday, into and through our lives. How can we begin preparing our hearts this year? Let's remember, or even relearn, what it means to be child-like again.
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May 30, 2007
Blessed are the pure in heart...
...for they will see God.
God wants to show himself to you. But first you must become pure. How to become pure? Entrust your center, your heart to him, and let him have complete control. Trust him as a little child trusts. Completely and wholeheartedly.
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Blessed are the pure in heart...
...for they will see God.
God wants to show himself to you. But first you must become pure. How to become pure? Entrust your center, your heart to him, and let him have complete control. Trust him as a little child trusts. Completely and wholeheartedly.
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May 22, 2007
This Week!
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May 11, 2007
Happy Mother's Day!
This weekend we celebrate mother's day. The ministry of motherhood and womanhood really is one of the greatest responsibilities and priviliges that God has given anyone. Come and celebrate this special day with us.
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April 23, 2007
This week at POG
Saturday morning at 8:00 AM - MEN'S BREAKFAST!
Join the guys for a nice, warm, breakfast. Eggs, bacon and as much coffee as you want to down. All that and good conversation too. Come and enjoy time together with the other guys.
Saturday afternoon - PIZZA NIGHT
Why not come and help us serve our community. Show up at 4:30PM and help us set up for the evening. Stick around eat and talk with the people who've come to be blessed.
Pizza Night starts at 5:30PM
See you all there.
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April 17, 2007
Proclamation
Don't forget, "Proclamation" is tonight (Tuesday).
We will be reading scripture from 5PM to 9PM. If you've signed up you know your time. If you haven't signed up but would still like to participate, please come, there are still some open spots.
Readings will take place at Central United Church in Port.
See you then, if you're coming.
UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who joined us last night - God's Word will not return void.
Readings will continue to go on until next Thursday evening. If you have some free time you can drop by the church and hear scripture read from 7AM to 9M each day.
There will be a celebration service on the evening of Sunday April 29th at 6:00PM at Central United. All are welcome.
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April 02, 2007
Passion Week at POG
This week the church is open every evening from 6-9PM. You are invited to drop by the church for a time of contemplation and meditation on the events of Christ's passion week 2000 years ago. Every evening the room will be prepared and a sheet will be prepared for your own use.
Wednesday evening we will come together and have a worship time together.
Friday morning we will gather together at 9AM for our annual Good Friday Breakfast followed by a short worship gathering.
Sunday morning we celebrate Easter together.
Join us all week long remembering, contemplating and celebrating Christ's willing sacrifice on our behalf, so that we could be his community of faith. Blessed to be a blessing.
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December 11, 2006
Pizza Night
This week, as we prepare for Christmas, we have a little more special Pizza Night planned. So come and help out. Bless others and be blessed! There's will be food. There will be special music. There will be special treats. And there will be Pizza! After all, it wouldn't be Pizza night without Pizza.
Prep and set up starts at 4:30PM on Saturday. Actual Evening begins at 5:30PM.
See you there!
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November 12, 2006
Will you pray?
We're looking for people who will join us in regular prayer for Port of Grace. To pray for what God's heart is for us, to seek him to listen to him, to ultimately, be brought to the place where we're listening to him togethre so that God can do everything and anything he wants in and through all of us.
Would you pray? Are you someone that God could use in this way? Pray about it! I believe that God wants to raise up a group of people who will join me in interceeding for POG.
It excites me to think of what God could do with, in an through us as a church if we really surrendered all things to God in prayer, before we got busy just doing stuff.
Might be pretty awesome though....Come and journey with us!
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November 07, 2006
Thank You!
As a church we've been blessed! There are so many ways, but I have one specific thing in mind.
Every once in a while there's something neat that happens and is encouraging. Every once in a while God moves someone not connected to us to give. Somehow they hear about or they witness our ministry, and God leads them to give something significant to God's work in and through POG.
A week ago someone handed me a check for one thousand dollars and said, "Here, for Port of Grace! Use it wherever it's needed." This is the third time something like this happens to me and it never stops amazing me.
Thank You Lord for showing us that You are the Provider!
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November 03, 2006
Celebrate and Pray!
Mill Crossing, pastor Liz's new church has just got a building. It's a store front church much like POG. So celebrate! But they need prayer, they need to move in by Dec 3 and that doesn't give them a lot of time to knock down some walls and all that fun stuff, so pray for them. Congratulations Liz and Neil, we're excited for you guys!!!
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October 24, 2006
Don't forget to turn your clocks back!
This Sunday morning at 2:00AM Daylight Savings Time ends. That means you need to turn your clocks back one hour. If you don't you'll arrive at church one hour early! But that's ok, if you do, I'll be there!
Remember, Spring forward, Fall backward.
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October 18, 2006
This Sunday - It's a celebration!
This Sunday morning, after the morning gathering, we'll be going upstairs to celebrate Jonathan and Ashlee's recent marriage together.
Plan to stay and enjoy the time together, it's going to be fun!
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October 12, 2006
Congratulations!
Jonathan & Ashlee got married last Saturday in Hamilton. They'll be back this weekend from their honeymoon up in the Meaford area. We'll be having our own POG celebration for them over the next couple of weeks.
Congratulations Guys! And Ashlee, welcome to the family!
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September 25, 2006
After the movie...
Following are some comments from people who came Sunday evening and watched "Beyond the Gates of Splendor." (The story of five missionary families who went to Equador to be Christ to the Auca/Waodani Indians.)
"Just watched the documentary Beyond the Gates of Splendor. To say that this film is powerful would not do it justice. It is beyond a story of missionaries and martyrdom. It is beyond a story of the power of obedience to God. It is beyond the story of a people, killing each other nearly to extinction in the jungles of Ecquador. It is simply a story about the power of God's love."
"That documentary last night was very powerful. I don't see how any human being could, in those circumstances: not use weapons as the five men chose not to, and not want to take revenge but take the opposite route the wives chose, this obviously was from divine intervention, grace from God or whatever wording one would use."
I (Pastor Ed) first watched this movie/documentary on TV. It really is very powerful. The thing I appreciate most of all is that it's not a story of just one person who decided to really allow Jesus use them and work through them as they followed his call to be missionaries. There are many such, also powerfu, stories. But this is more! This is the journey of a community of followers (five families) who decided to love a tribe of Indians as Jesus had loved them. When half of them were killed at the hand of the Auca, the wives and the children and even, later on, the grandchildren became a part of God's redemption story for this tribe who had almost driven themselves to extinction through the vengeful spearing of one another. This kind of love can only be found in one person, Jesus Christ.
For those who weren't able to take it in on Sunday evening, the DVD will be available for anyone who wants to borrow it.
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September 23, 2006
Video Night Tonight - Sept. 24 - 6:30PM
Tonight we're watching "Beyond the Gates of Splendor" at the church. It is a movie/documentary about the story of five missionary couples that travelled to Ecuador to attempt to find the Waodani people and, hopefully, show them the love of Christ. Come and see what it truly means to love as Christ loved. Refreshments will be available. But if you want some goodies, you have to bring them.
Hope to see you there!
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September 19, 2006
Living Rooms!
They're here! This Evening, Wednesday September 20, we're turning a new page in our history. Today we start three Living Rooms. It's about building community. It's about becoming "one". It's about being more than just Christian acquaintances. Some people say it can't happen, it's just a dream, that's not what Jesus meant...
Still, we're dreaming about what would happen, what could happen if we really surrendered ourselves to seeking to love one another as we have been loved by Christ? Could it be that we'd see the answer to Jesus prayer in our midst? What would it look like to be "one" as Jesus and the Father are one? We're not totally sure. But whatever it means, whatever Jesus had in mind when he prayed for us...that's what we want to know. That's what we want to move, even stumble, towards. Because we want all people to know that God loves them as much as he loved Jesus, as much as he's loved us.
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September 01, 2006
"Just look at me now!"
Here's a comment from one of our communication cards this past weekend...
"Before I came to this church, I was in a very bad place in my life. My mother had just overdosed. I was trying to get away from drugs, but it was hard. So, I turned to God for help and, well, look at me now! My whole family is clean and I'm back in school and for the first time in my life I'm happy. I just wanted to thank you for the help!"
And this is why we want to be church at POG! So that all of us, wherever we are, can seek God, turn to him, and, together, journey toward, and experience everything that he created us to be.
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Welcome to our Family
Hi everyone! This is Ronin Rose-Manners. Ronin was born to Kevin Manners & Elaine Rose on August 24. He weighed in at nine pounds, eight ounces and was 20 and a half inches long.
Congratulations to Rose-Manners family for the newest member of the family. Ronin has three brothers and one sister; Austin, Kadan, Michaela and Owen.
Mom says, "He's Awesome!"
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August 20, 2006
Community
Over the next four weeks we'll be looking at the issue of "community" as a church. As a leadership we believe that God's call & God's design is Community. The Christian journey is designed to take place in community. You can't thrive spiritually on your own. You can't fulfill all the one anothers of scripture on your own. You need others. That's God's design. That's why he's put us together.
At a conference yesterday I discovered two things. In all the churches that I know are doing well, and by that I mean, people in their midst are growing toward Jesus, and as a community they're making a difference in Jesus' name, in those places the common denominator is community. The kind of community that really does life together. Where we really become family. The kind of people who learn to work through our differences and as God changes us allow him to use, even, those difference to make us stronger. Community I'm finding is messy! It's not about everyone just liking everyone. It's not about everyone agreeing on everything. It is about a group of people becoming surrendered to something greater than themselves. Who Jesus would have them be, and what He would have them do. And then, together, journeying that road together.
At POG this is our direction. We want the kind of community Jesus demonstrated in his relationships, no matter what the cost, and we know there's a cost. One of those costs is our individuality. Or a life focused on individuality. We long for deep friendship, knowing that, sometimes, with deep friendship comes pain. But as the Bible says, wounds from a friend can be trusted.
We know we won't get it all right, but we want to move forward together. We don't want to be a sunday morning social gathering that does little more than tickle people's ears, even if the desire is good and honorable. We really, really want to see people become more like Jesus.
As we discovered this morning, we want a community that helps all of us be faithful to the end, and not be deceived and trapped by the attractivess of sin. We want a community that helps us all, together, engage in good deeds and in radical acts of love. We want the purpose statement that sits on our stationary to be the reality that we live as we really become about showing God's love, in action to each other and to our community.
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August 05, 2006
Canal Days
Canal Days are here once again. And once again, POG is open for service. This Saturday, Sunday and Monday we will be opening our doors to provide bathroom facilities, a cool place away from the heat, as well as free coffee and lemonade to the many people visiting Port for Canal Days. And we're doing it all for free!
Christians are sometimes accused of being so heavenly minded that they're no earthly good. We want to be heavenly minded and earthly good as well, even in little things such as this.
Thank you for all the people who have signed to cover for an hour, two or more this weekend. May you be blessed as you are a blessing to others.
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July 17, 2006
Update on Sean...
This is a picture of Sean and Diane yesterday evening at our Church Campfire.
Sean was doing much better and completely back to himself! Elvis impersonations and all.
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July 12, 2006
Campfire Photos
Photo's are up from this past weekend's campfire at the Abrahams. Click on Photo or go here to see them all.
This coming weekend's campfire is at Pastor Ed and Vania's place on 124 Catharine St.
Campfire starts at 7PM after "Church in the Park" at 6PM.
See you there!
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June 15, 2006
This Weekend
Sunday Morning - June 18 (10:45 A.M.)
HERE'S OUR WORLD - WHAT DO WE DO WITH IT?
As a faith community that is seeking to become globally focused, we want to have God's heart for the world. This weekend will be the first of many times, where we seek God to understand our place in the world as well as the role that God would call us too, both here in town and to the ends of the earth. We want to be more than just educated; We want to hear God's call to our faith community and our role in being Jesus from Port Colborne to the ends of the earth.
Posted by ed
June 14, 2006
Welcome to POG Online!
We are a small, street-front church in the city of Port Colborne, in Southern Ontario.
Someone coined the phrase "messy spirituallity", we like it! It describes us, as individuals and as a church! No one here has got it all together - all of us are people on journey and in process. Some of us have been following Jesus for a while, some of us have just begun, and many of us are still trying to figure out this whole Jesus thing. But we're all in it together! At POG everyone belongs - day one! If you're looking for a family to follow Jesus with, a place where you will be challenged and encouraged - somewhere you will be accepted and loved unconditionally...then we are "POG"!
Part of our site is still in development. If you have any suggestions to how it can be improved, they are welcomed! We hope this will be a place that is a help to the people in our congregation as well as an open door to those seeking to know more about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Starting with the present sermon series, "Marriage: Successful and Satisfying", you can listen to each of the sermons online.
Hope to see you around!
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