How do you summarize all that God did in and through a community of believers in a year?  You can't!  But you can tell stories and share some of the excitement through the reports of the people involved.  

That's just what we have in our KGF 2012 Annual Reports.  Download a copy here:

When Jesus said the world would know we are His disciples by our love, He must've meant our love would be evident to those around us.  It must be on the outside, not just the inside.  There must be a tangibleness to it, it must have movement and action. 

We are starting a new 3-week series this Sunday, February 3rd, entitled "Love In Action: Refuse To Do Nothing”. 

When it comes to love, we are to get our cues from those things that move God’s heart. It’s hard to read the Bible and miss God’s heart for the poor.  In fact, we see the poor talked about more than 2,000 times in scripture.  That translates into one in every sixteen verses.

So we are going on a journey to discover how God can move us to a love that takes action.  We are going to refuse to do nothing, because God has called us to partner with Him in seeing the injustices of the world.

Throughout this series, we will give you tangible opportunities to put your love in action. 

February 10^th is Compassion Sunday, and you will have a chance to change a kids life through sponsorship.

On the evening of Sunday February 10^th at 7pm we will be inviting you for a showing of the powerful movie “58: A Journey into God’s Heart of Compassion” 

Our Life Groups will be going deeper with how these truths can work out in our day to day lives.  

One of the favorite things I get to do is read the real-life stories of what God is doing through His Spirit at work in the KGF Church Family.  These are fuel to my days, and a constant reminder that what we are doing is having a kingdom impact!  Here are just a couple of emails I’ve received recently to encourage you, our partners, in this great work.   

We just wanted to tell you how much we love being a part of the KGF family! We have been going since beginning of August and just feel like we have found our forever church:) We have gotten to know some really great people, and the conversations we have had have been so encouraging.  People really love Jesus here and it shows. Jesus shows up in conversations in my mommy circles and in how I see people live - they live out their faith. It is SO great to be a part of a community that is hungry for Jesus within their imperfections. I know we are building community that will last a lifetime, through the ups and the downs, the fun and the sad.  The church feels very transparent, at least within our circle of friends and as young families I can't wait to see how KGF grows and how we can be a part of that growth!

I just wanted to write a few words to thank you for the wonderful sermons that you and your church provide the community with. I work every weekend so I do not get the chance to attend Sunday morning services but I very much enjoy and look forward to hearing your messages online every week. I find your services very inspirational and they often help me refocus and center my own life. Hearing the word of God in a way that I can apply to my own life has become a wellness practice that can not do without so Thank You.

I must thank God for the amazing work this church is doing. Having attended the past couple Sundays at KGF I have felt so warmly welcomed into the church family. Through your messages these past two Sundays I have been able to reconnect with Jesus in a deeply powerful and emotional way. God has revealed himself to me and I could not be more thrilled! The past couple of years have been incredibly tough for me personally, but God has truly blessed me in finding KGF. I look forward to what God has in store for me!

I loved this email I received today from a member of our congregation, as she pondered the power of fully living "for such a time as this."  I believe you'll enjoy and be encouraged by it too!

Hello Pastor Mike

I just wanted to share with you a major thing the Lord showed me that changed me from a pew warmer to one who serves others.

I was praying for peace, joy, strength and wisdom, like we all do, when the Lord laid something new on me. He showed me that He may give me that joy and all I asked for, but none of it was for me to keep. Yes, it is for me on my journey as I need it, but it is not to stay only with me, but is to be passed on...given away to others as they need it. I am to become a flow-through vessel of the Lords. His joy, peace, strength and wisdom are to flow into and out of me in abundance, no matter my circumstance.

Here is the fourth nominee for a board position at KGF.  Colleen Enns is being invited to serve in the area of Spiritual Vision & Direction.  KGF’s Annual General Meeting is Sunday February 24^th. 

I was born and raised in a Christian home.   God brought me through some major struggles in my teens to bring me to a place of surrender to Him.  Through these experiences, and the friendships of some amazing Christian friends, I found a relationship with Christ in my early twenties. 

As my love for Christ grew, so did my desire to love the hurting of this world.   For the last 12 years I have been passionate about working with children, youth and adults involved in the criminal justice system, homelessness, addiction and mental health. 

My journeys have also brought me to Zambia, Africa to work with orphans, street kids and people dying of AIDS.  This was a country God had planted in my heart when I was a child.  It also brought me to work with people/families in crisis (Australia Relief and Mercy Services) in Perth and it gave me the strength to pedal my bike every fabulous mile across our country to raise money for church planting in Canada.  Through this, God gave me a heart for the world he created, not just the one out my back door.   

In advance of KGF's Annual General Meeting Sunday February 24th, we'd like to introduce you to several individuals to serve on our board.  Here is the story of Bernie Siebring, who is being put forward as KGF Treasurer.

I was born and raised in the Calgary area by loving Christian parents. I made a solid commitment to Christ at a Basic Youth Conference.

Always loved the Okanagan and moved to the valley with my wife Pat in 1978. We are truly blessed by the Lord with four sons and four grandchildren. One of my sons started attending KGF and we thought we would also attend, and have since called this our home church.

In the Okanagan I have worked in an accounting practice in 80’s and presently take care of Spall Plaza and a few strata corporations.  I am continually being reinforced about the importance of the Bible that it stands alone and does not need my support since it is God’s Word. 

"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted."  Galatians 6:1 NIV

In this journey of life there are times of great temptation, struggle and sin. As people who have been redeemed and brought into a new life in Christ, we are still fragile and susceptible to people, places and things that can knock us off course and grieve the heart of God. Sinful behaviors or patterns that are contrary to God's Word and that bring disrepute and division into the church need to be addressed and handled. This is called church discipline.

Unfortunately this concept has fallen by the wayside, largely because it was abused due to legalism and condemnation, rather than love and restoration. As individuals we carry the responsibility, not of judging one another, but of coming alongside each other and lovingly but courageously confronting things that need to be dealt with. May we do this prayerfully and carefully with the genuine purpose of restoring each other to our full redemptive potential in Christ!

I love the opportunity to spend time with Errol Martens, one of our key mission partners for KGF.  You can watch a video I filmed with Errol Monday, in advance of a new round of exciting adventures for Jesus.  

Here is Errol's latest ministry report:  

Upcoming schedule for prayer: 

 January 24 – 27 Alberta

 January 30 – February 25 Greenland

 March 18 – 28 Ahousaht, BC

 April 16 – 26 Smithers, BC

 May 13 – 24 Finland

Find out more online here:  http://www.ywamgreenland.com/

People ask me often how I enjoy my job.  It’s a funny question because I never look at what I get to do as a job.  It’s a joy and a privilege that I get to spend some of the best parts of my day helping people discover Jesus and being equipped to follow Him.  And I love the fact that God has called me to this church family for such a time as this!  I believe there is a special favor from God that is resting on KGF right now, and I pray that we would celebrate what He is doing and continue to pray for an even greater outpouring of His Spirit in our midst.

As I look back on 2012, there are so many “firsts” that stand out.  I loved the fact we were able to celebrate Jesus in City Park in June for our KGF ONE service.  It was a beautiful day in every sense of that word, including 7 baptisms in the lake.  We are looking forward to that again in June 2013.  

We stepped out to try something new at Christmas Eve, celebrating “Christmas in the City” at the Kelowna Community Theatre.  And God met us in awesome ways, filling the place with people and His Spirit of love, joy and hope.  The impact continues in conversations and coffees, and we are looking already at Christmas 2013 for two services at the Theatre. 

I love the fact we are maximizing the facility God has given us at the corner of Gordon & Casorso.  It is a beautiful thing to be mortgage free and ministry rich, and that’s the gift we get to walk out in this season of life at KGF.  The two Sunday morning services are consistently full, and we are anticipating a third Sunday night service in 2013.

In advance of KGF's Annual General Meeting February 24th, we are introducing you to those individuals who are being put forward to serve on our board. . . here is Nancy Tordiffe's story.  You can watch her share her testimony on video from Easter 2012 here: 

In many ways, my life began when I came to church in December 1997 and heard the message “Everybody needs a Savior”; I truly accepted Christ that day.  Prior to that, I was emotionally and spiritually dormant.  I grew up with little exposure or experience with God.  I’m the great granddaughter of medical missionaries who brought Jesus to those living on the Nass River in northern BC but I’d never been to Sunday school, never read a Bible. My first visit to that church was for a child’s funeral; a celebration of hope and joy that drew me back when my life was a mess. Accepting Christ as my personal Savior began an exciting and fast paced journey of transformation and growth. In 10 years, I went from a hard-nosed cynical stock broker to a pastor passionate about God’s Word and His people at the very church where I met Jesus. During those 10 years, God brought so many people into my life to mentor and disciple me, which fueled my passion for mentoring and discipleship.

In early 2012, due to financial constraints, five individuals lost their jobs at the church and I was one of them. God had already been preparing me for this major change in my life. I had no doubt that He had another adventure planned for me.  And He did; I was offered a new job in less than a month. I’m now the director of a women’s recovery home which allows me to pastor a small community of women.

I began attending KGF soon after leaving my job because I knew Pastor Mike and had several friends at KGF. I was looking for a place to rest and heal.  As soon as I walked in the door, I knew I was home. There is a welcoming peace and love at KGF.  I felt I belonged the moment I first walked in.  The KGF family has embraced me and folded me into the family.  I’m so grateful for God bringing me to KGF for such a time as this.

As we continue this series "For Such A Time As This", we wanted to give you some tools that will help you invest your lives well. 

Pastor Mike is talking about answering the question, "What's In Your Hand?" and this inventory is meant to help you discover that.  It's a 20 page document with very specific questions that will help you discover & implement your spiritual gifts. 

I love the first sentance of the document: "It is easier to discover your gift through your ministry than to discover your ministry through your gift.

Get started, download the document here.

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:2 NIV

There is an old well-known adage that says: "Too heavenly minded, no earthly good." This philosophy has unfortunately, deeply clouded and influenced our lives more than we know.

As people living in a modern, fast paced and highly changing culture, we are more consumed with our surroundings than ever before. Thousands of thoughts race through our minds daily as we focus intently on our obligations, ambitions, desires and responsibilities. This can lead to mental overload, stress and a malnourished spiritual life.

We must constantly remember that this is not our true home, and most of what we are involved in now is temporal and passing. We are commanded to think about eternity, heaven and the beauty of Christ. This simple act of turning our thoughts upward on a daily basis will bring great peace and perspective.

It is good to be heavenly minded!

Monty M. Scott, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.