Editorials

Read More Grounds for Relationship From our General Superintendent David Wells Grounds for Relationship
It was a casual conversation with a relative stranger, but it quickly turned to a topic I find myself discussing with people on a regular basis.  “I was talking to a friend,” this person said, “and she asked me, ‘If there’s a God, how can He allow what’s going on in my life right now? There’s just so much trouble.’” Then this person offered an insight that you don’t often hear in our culture today. “What I told her was, I&rs...
Read More Something Better From the Editor Stephen Kennedy Something Better
The tree came with the house. It’s an American linden and it stands in the middle of our backyard, about two-thirds of the way between the deck and the back of the lot. Thirty-one years ago, I could have wrapped one arm around its trunk. Now I can stretch both arms around the main trunk and still be a yard short of its circumference. For more than three decades, we’ve watched it grow. We have measured its maturing by the growing girth of its trunk, by the lengthening of its limbs and...
Read More Something Worth Hoping For From the Editor Steve Kennedy Something Worth Hoping For
I enter a new decade this year. Come May, my fifties will be behind me. I’m told I will be able to apply for early CPP. I’m not sure if that excites me or not. I haven’t crunched the numbers to see if it’s a wise thing to do. I need to have a chat with my financial advisor some day—when she isn’t out shopping for the grandkids. What I am excited about, though, is all the money I’m hoping to save when I turn 60. I can see already that my calendar is goin...
Read More Anticipation From our General Superintendent David Wells Anticipation
There are many things I look forward to at the start of each calendar year. My plans for this year include trips to many events and settings, all of which I will begin to anticipate months in advance.  This spring I plan to be in Jerusalem, along with thousands of Christians from around the globe, to participate in Pentecost 2015. Come join us! With the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games coming to Toronto in July and August, I will have the opportunity to serve as the co-ordinator for the Faith C...
Read More A Broken Ankle Christmas From the Editor Steve Kennedy A Broken Ankle Christmas
​On December 23, 2010, my friend Larry broke his ankle. He slipped on some ice on his own front porch and went down hard on the concrete. It was a bad break. To add hardship to injury, he had no one to sue but himself. Larry is a man who is most often on the move. He’s been active in his local church in men’s ministries and as a visiting elder and cell group leader. When my mom was, as we used to say, “shut in” during her last few years of life, Larry visited her faithf...
Read More Not Just Another Number From our General Superintendent David Wells Not Just Another Number
In our 2020 Initiative we use a lot of numbers to define our vision and the goals we have for increasing the “missional vitality” of our leaders and churches. The initiative challenges us to believe that in the year 2020, 1 per cent of the Canadian population—350,000 people—will be part of 1,500 PAOC churches and disciple-making communities across the country. We are also challenged to believe that there will be 420 PAOC global workers in 85 nations outside Canada, 40 Mis...
Read More A Spiritually Vital Fellowship From our General Superintendent David Wells A Spiritually Vital Fellowship
As part of our 2020 Initiative, we have developed three clear statements of vision that explain what we mean when we talk of spiritual, theological and missional vitality. They describe what we believe is needed in order to see our 1,120 churches, and the 236,000 followers of Jesus who attend them, become 1,500 disciple-making communities with 350,000 spiritually alive Christ followers empowered to share God’s grace and truth. Consider with me these three statements of vision. 1. To exper...