Your elders(*) and staff (**) are aware of the increasing number of new workers and Canadians in Edmonton. FFAC has been making efforts to inform as many as we can that we're willing to provide practical help, wholesome recreational activities, moral and spiritual support to as many as would come.

We have a good challenge in our hands. That is, we are not able to connect again with every person we meet. When we invite new folks to our event or when they come to worship on Sunday either morning or evening, it is ideal to minimally call them again. If we can drop by their place or get together for coffee or a meal, so much the better.

Why? We know what it's like to be a stranger in a new city in a new country. More important than that, we want to share that life in Canada offers a better opportunity and that life in Christ offers the best never ending as-good-as-it-gets life.

ELDERS DIRECTED ME TO PUT MORE EFFORT / TIME INTO THIS

Due to this great need of making sure that every person gets a chance to hear, be a part of and grow in God's family through Jesus Christ, your elders have tasked me to re-calibrate my work schedule to put a concentrated effort on this. It's a temporary measure to get us started until the Lord raises a volunteer or staff worker, whose main responsibility is to make sure teams of FFACers are mobilized to meet this need. Yes, the need to make sure every person gets a fair chance to consider a godly perspective of living in Canada by having a life in Christ.

We are thankful that Hayson Valencia, a pioneer FFACer and international worker, is volunteering to help accelerate the start of this ministry. Expect your pastors and a few other volunteers to make the rounds in your living room or enjoy treats and drinks together at a local coffee shop.

WE NEED TO DO THIS TOGETHER

Your staff just finished reading Jim Cymbala's book Fresh Wind Fresh Fire. I highly recommend this book. Discover how desperately we need God. Let your attitude and habits toward prayer and praying be shaken up so that you may remain awake and alert in actively crying out to God to intervene and perform mighty acts among us. Only the Spirit of God can cause people to come, be moved, turn people's lives around and be changed. We realize the need to ever keep growing and getting out of our comfort zones and make extraordinary efforts to labor hard and long in prayer. Come to the Extended Night of Prayer this Friday July 17 at 7-9:30pm.

Your elders are in the process of reading Bill Hybels' book Axiom. It contains modern proverbs that encapsulate impossible stories of human courage and heroism. These are fine examples of real life prevailing leadership against all odds under God. We're learning about integrity, character, keeping honest, maintaining humility, never compromising on moral and biblical issues and leading and serving courageously with a posture of dependence upon God.

TWO MORE THINGS

(1) Pray for our 6PM Sunday Worship Service: that those who are regular evening worshippers will start inviting and bringing their friends and that there will be a committed volunteer team who will be the mainstay of that service.

(2) I'm preparing to leave for Calgary with Pastor Bong Cabuhat and 22 other young people. We'll be driving in two rented 15-passenger vans. Pray that the Lord's Spirit will touch, change and call many young delegates to a radical commitment and service to our Master, Jesus Christ. Parents, please pick up your teens at Pastor Ricky's place at 3-3:30pm this Sunday July 12 - today.

You may call or text message us directly: Pastor Bong 780 884-0922 or Pastor Ricky 780 932-6272.

Warmly,

ricky p. mapa, pastor

(*) FFAC Elders: Vic Hepas - Chair, Fredie Realon - Vice-Chair, Rene Benzon - Treasurer, Edwin Medina - Secretary, Ricky Mapa - Clerk

(**) FFAC Staff: Bong Cabuhat - Young People; Stewart Brown - Teaching & Discipleship; Hayson Valencia - Visitation & Follow-up; Ricky Mapa - Lead