Testimony

It all started with prayer. Twelve years ago, long before the PAOC launched the 2020 Initiative, Malvern Christian Assembly (MCA) started doing regular community prayer walks. They divided the 183 streets of Malvern—a community of over 44,000 residents located in the northeast corner of Toronto—into seven districts and placed a deacon and a pastor in charge of each district. Once a month on a Saturday morning, congregants walked the streets as ambassadors for Jesus, praying for and b...

Our Story Transforming Canada Together

On July 1, 2017, we will be celebrating our 150th birthday as a nation. I admit, studying Canadian history was not among the top 100 things I appreciated in my Grade 10 history class. I found it monotonous compared to the tales of European monarchs and wars, or to the history of our tumultuous neighbours to the south. However, my perspective has evolved into a deep appreciation for the rich history of this country. Our shared historical narrative is filled with exciting stories of adventure, ris...

Perspective And Then the Rains Came

It was a dusty spring. The snow melted too early, leaving the grass exposed to the sun. It burned dry and brittle in a matter of days. Even the dirt seemed scorched. Little grey dust clouds covered my feet when I walked across the “lawn.” Tree branches hung limp, longing for water. The bushes snapped when I brushed up against them. We had gone far too long without rain. It was the spring of 2016 and wildfires were spreading in hundreds of locations across the province of Alberta. Bu...

Seven Questions SEVEN QUESTIONS FOR ROB MOORE

Rob Moore is the son of a PAOC pastor and church planter. He served as a member of Parliament for the Conservative Party of Canada from 2004 to 2015. After his defeat in the 2015 election, he was asked to fill the role of Atlantic Critic for the official Opposition. Last May, Rob was elected to the General Executive of the PAOC. Moore lives in Quispamsis, N.B., with his wife and three children. Q1: Your father was a pastor and a church planter. When did your faith become your own, and not just s...

Perspective LOVER OR LORD

I have a confession: I’m struggling with how we usually present what God expects of us. I grew up with The Four Spiritual Laws. I recall one youth service when a friend of mine was speaking, and he had the small golden booklet in his possession. In its pages the plan of salvation was presented—and presented well. The last portion of the booklet was written to “smarten up” any Christians who had given their hearts to Jesus but were slacking. There was a nice illustration ...

Your Story Falling Into God's Arms

On a summer Friday in 2012, I awoke at 3:30 in the morning. Half of my body lay on the road, the other half on the curb. Flesh was torn from my elbows, forearms, knees and shins. Blood seeped from my wounds. I didn’t know where I was or what had happened to me. Had a car struck me? I tried to get up and realized I was stinking drunk. As my mind cleared, I remembered I’d been walking home from the bar. A recent, nasty divorce had caused me to lose everything and sent me into a deep d...

Interview SEVEN QUESTIONS FOR FLORENCE JUMA

The Rev. Dr. Florence Juma was called into full-time ministry while growing up in Kenya. She has a doctorate in Historical Theology, a Master of Divinity, and a Masters in Education (Policy Studies). She is ordained with the PAOC, is an associate faculty at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, and is the author of three memoirs and two children’s books. Dr. Juma attends Waterloo Pentecostal Assembly. Q1: You are pursuing a number of different educational and ministry opportuni...

On The Season The Focus of Advent

Advent is a beginning. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, it offers an invitation to see the world afresh. Advent is the beginning of the year according to the church calendar. And though connected to Christmas, it has its own focus as a season. The season of Advent lasts approximately four weeks, beginning the fourth Sunday before Christmas and continuing until Christmas Eve and the celebration of Christmas Day. The church calendar is a way to pattern our days and mo...

Lifestyle Chronic Sorrow

The sun was bright that July day, the lake was still, and the air was thick. I stood with my son in the long check-in line of junior high campers and parents. It was then that the thing hit me. My face grew hot. I was thankful for the sunglasses that hid my tears. I swallowed hard and took a deep breath, trying to shake free of it, but there was no escape. Choking back tears, I forced a smile and whispered to my son, “You realize, if things were different, I would be checking Annie and Aud...

Perspective Where Have All the Millennials Gone?

Someone’s missing in the church today. Millennials (those born between 1982 and 2004[1]) are not engaging in our church communities like youth and young adults used to. So what has changed in our churches to lead to this problem? The problem is, not much. As a 20-year-old Christian, I often think about this issue. Why, despite the investment of time, effort and thousands of dollars in the development of youth and young adult ministries, is the church not seeing results? The short answer is...

On The Issue Some of Jim’s Finest Living

I sat with him in a darkened room. Light caused nausea and discomfort for Jim. It was easier for him to relax in the dimness. As we began to talk, Jim was quick to speak of the pain and the struggle of the last couple of days. He wasn’t complaining or whining—simply reflecting the reality of the journey. It was easy for us to go down this pathway. In fact, it was expected. Jim found it helpful to talk about the moment of dying and the struggle of leaving the people he loved so deepl...

Worldview Lost and Found

“God, don't just watch from the sidelines. Come on! Run to my side!” (Psalm 71:12, THE MESSAGE). Have you ever lost something you valued, only to find it again? Of course you have, and it is a happy moment. I have a stainless steel travel mug I have lost at least three or four times, but somehow it keeps coming back to me. That old beat-up but lovable travel mug has now become a symbol to me, a symbol of “found-ness.” Jesus tells three parables of “lost and found&rd...

Interview SEVEN 7 QUESTIONS FOR: CARLENE HORNBY ALLEN

Carlene Hornby Allen is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) and partner with KPMG in Vancouver. She is the daughter of a pastor and remembers clearly the moment she decided to follow Christ at seven years of age. She has served on the General Executive of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada since 2006 and is a trustee of the PAOC Pension Plan. Carlene is known for her professional expertise and for her dedication to ministry and non-profit work. Q 1: What led you to a career in finance? God dir...

Perspective Musings on Prayer

I am a theologian and a biblical scholar. I teach courses on spiritual formation, Pentecostal history and theology, and New Testament theology, with a special interest in the Gospels and Acts. In these courses I teach that prayer is a foundational discipline. I stress Pentecostal emphasis upon prayer and intimacy with God. I underscore how Jesus and His first followers practised prayer, taught about prayer, and expected us to follow suit. I’m an expert, right? I have a confession: when it...

Our Story Following the Trail

This is a story about the unfolding of an 85-year-old prophecy. Modesty forbids his telling the story about himself, but I believe we need to be each other’s champions. So let me tell you about my friend, Fred. This is a very inspiring story, a uniquely Pentecostal drama that started in the 1930s in Ukraine. At that time there was a prophetic word among the Pentecostal believers telling them to leave because of an impending famine, even though weather and crop yields had never been better....

Perspective Quit Overthinking It

Whether I am talking to my college students or to seasoned Christians, teenagers or older adults, I’ve noticed that many Christians experience angst concerning God’s will. They brood over questions such as “What is God’s will for my life?” and “Am I currently in God’s will?” Instead of overthinking such questions, perhaps we ought to focus less on whether we’re in the exact place God wants us to be and more on what we’re doing whe...

Everyday Thoughts Midnight Prayer: Tuesday, 17 November 2015

Oh God, Where do Syrian children sleep? Only you know each troubled bed. Mine are safe under quilts and treasured blankies, wrapped in the security of home. Mine are sleeping deeply, even as I wrestle with the midnight thoughts and images I can't escape. Don’t let me escape them. Don’t let me forget them. The world is a broken puzzle, with too many pieces missing. Blown to bits. What do I do? What do we do? I don’t know the answers to the questions in their eyes, the cries in t...

On The Issue One Beautiful Life at a Time

In 2009, Marion Cozens established a refuge for homeless, pregnant women. She named it W.I.N.G.S. (for Waiting, Investing, Nurturing, Growing and Soaring) Maternity Home. Her intention was to rebuild broken women into healthy moms. Marion, a former businesswoman and single parent of four daughters, renovated her personal residence, sought formal group home status, and then began sharing the home’s mission with local churches, businesses and community leaders. The mission of W.I.N.G.S...

Lifestyle A Beautiful Life

I’ve been thinking about what C. S. Lewis said when his dear friend, Charles Williams, died: “Lots, lots of pain, but not a particle of depression or resentment.” I know what he meant. While I have found myself crying at the oddest moments this week, I do not despair at my mother’s passing. Instead, there is something strangely wondrous about this moment. The great Scottish writer George MacDonald said.... Click here to subscribe so that you can receive the full con...

Your Story Was Blind, but Now I See

I considered myself a lucky man. At 47 years old, I had a great career, a wonderful wife, three healthy boys, and a beautiful home. Our family was financially very comfortable. I felt secure about where I was and where I was heading. Life was good. Life was very good. And then came July 15, 2015. We’d left for Florida that morning, my family and I, for a well-earned vacation on the beach. Upon our arrival, I received news that my mother had suffered a terrible accident back in Montreal. I...