The CABC & Alpha Canada are partnering to bring workshops to Atlantic Canada April 5-8 in various locations (Bridgewater, Halifax, Charlottetown, Saint John, Moncton & Fredericton). We have invited Shaila Visser, National Director of Alpha Canada, to come and speak to our pastoral and lay leaders about congregational engagement and evangelism in our contemporary context. She will also be highlighting new Alpha resources created to help the church bring the good news of Jesus to their neighbourhoods. See below for locations and times. Complete details are also available on our event page: https://atlanticbaptist.ca/event/open-doors/.
Rev. Greg Jones (CABC’s Congregational Renewal) will be hosting these workshops that are open to anyone (pre-registration requested; no cost to attend). Here is a special invitation from Greg:
There was a day when many churches were reaching people for Christ Jesus and active as his witnesses in their neighbourhoods. Today, North American studies show that churches typically plateau in attendance by year 15 and by year 35 they begin having trouble replacing the members they lose. They have the inability to regain the critical mass necessary to regrow the church utilizing the tools and techniques they presently employ. Fifty to sixty churches in North America close their doors every week.
Churches of all sizes who want to re-focus, re-vision, and re-vitalize are asking: ‘What is a great, readily accessible, inexpensive tool to help us re-engage in Christ’s calling?’
As I’ve visited CABC churches over these past years, I’ve asked people to tell me their stories of coming to Christ. Over and over a powerful and common theme has been repeated: “A friend invited me to Alpha and that’s what drew me to Jesus.” “My life was falling apart and I went to Alpha and found a God who loved me.” “Alpha helped me understand that it is in Jesus we find out what God is like.”
The Alpha program has been a compelling instrument in bringing people to Christ and changing the landscape of churches and neighborhoods here in Atlantic Canada and around the world.
Mark your calendars: April 5th to the 8th – Bridgewater, Halifax, Charlottetown, Saint John, Moncton & Fredericton. These sites were chosen to maximize our points of contact in the limited time she will be in Atlantic Canada. For those who may be too far away to be in personal attendance, we are hoping to livestream one of those presentations. Watch for further information. Dates & location details are listed below.
Come and bring your leaders and other interested individuals from your church. You won’t want to miss this opportunity. While we have opened these meetings to interested individuals from all denominations and churches, we are offering this as a resource especially for our CABC churches. We ask that you pre-register (https://civi.alphacanada.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=187) to give us an idea of how many to prepare for, as well as to be able to contact you should weather prove to be a problem at any point.
Wanting to encourage you in your continued ministry, I hope to see you in April.
Yours in Christ,
Greg Jones
Associate Executive Minister, CABC
