HEALING PRAYER

LIFE STORIES​

​This will be the last Pastor’s Corner till September. (Even the Pastor’s Corner takes a summer holiday.)  I thought a good way to end the church year would be to tell you some stories of lives that have been changed at Bethel Church.  The stories are very moving.
 
A single dad is making a new start as a Christian.  He is reading his Bible for the first time and is growing in his faith with the support of Bethel members.  Responsible for three kids and living far from his family of origin, life can be a   challenge for him.  Yet, at Bethel he is experiencing love.  When describing the church, he says: “I have finally found my family.” 
 
A boy in lighthouse who appeared uninterested in the lessons from week to week, wrote a heartfelt note to a classmate with special needs.  The family of the special needs child was deeply touched by this boy’s act of kindness.  The boy’s small group leader told him that he “had been Christ” to his classmate.  This “lesson” clearly impacted the boy.  He became very excited about what Christ had done through him.
 
Another little boy appeared not to be paying attention each week during class, but the Holy Spirit was obviously at work in his life, even though his teachers couldn’t see it.  One day he was reading the Bible as part his class activity.  His teacher went to chat with him and he asked her, “Did Jesus really die for me?”
 
A little girl came up to me, just last week, and asked, “Pastor Tom, would you give this note to God?”  On the slip of paper that she gave me, she had written a beautiful expression of faith to her heavenly father. 
 
A young adult couple shared that they feared being lonely in Edmonton. The city was brand new to one of them, and still fairly new to the other.  “But,” they say, “fortunately, we found Bethel. Everyone was so friendly and we were encouraged right away to join a small group. We found out about young adults and decided to give it a try. Everyone in the Young Adults group expressed how they'd like the group to be a welcoming place where everyone could get to know each other as they grow closer to God—and this has been happening. I feel that I've grown in my faith and have found connections to other Christ-loving people. We are blessed to have found a church family with whom we can share our lives.
 
Keep on being the hands, feet, ears, heart, and voice of Jesus, Bethel.  The Holy Spirit is clearly at work.—Pastor Tom
 

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