IMPORTANT New Year's Day Schedule Change

Please, please, please do not forget the following schedule change! We will be joining our larger family at PORTICO (1814 Barbertown Rd) on New Year's Day.  Many of our key volunteers were not going to be available for January 1st and so, rather than put the weight of all of the setup and tear down and tech responsibilities on a very small group, we have decided to enjoy the blessing of being with our larger family for one more Sunday.

However - I would love to connect with as many of our PORTICO Milton group as possible on that Sunday morning, Jan. 1st, 2012. So here is what we are doing. At 10:30am on January 1st I would like all of you to join me in Rm. 108 at PORTICO for coffee and fellowship, but also, and most importantly, to gather for a brief time of corporate prayer as we begin a brand new year asking God to continue to be with us and show us His favour and blessing as we move our fledgling campus forward.

I have timed this so that, whether you are coming to first or second service, it will still be convenient for you to join us.  Please pass this information on to anyone you know who has been coming to PORTICO Milton as we want to make sure everyone knows about the change.

Have a Blessed New Year!

Pastor Jeff

'Tis the Season

I am excited to share this post with you...the second one this week! I know that you are all still reveling in the fact that we now have a shared facility in our future. This truly is the best Christmas gift I've received in quite a while and I am so grateful for God's incredible faithfulness.

But I also need to update you on the single mom and her family whose home was flooded that we had wanted to make a contribution towards.

I have a story to tell you.

First let me thank all of you for your incredible generosity at this Christmas season and the way you responded to this need. Truly this is what the Christmas season is all about.

Having said that, I need to explain something. In spite of the fact that I confirmed what details I knew of the story with this ladies sister last Sunday, apparently I didn't have ALL of the information.

When I phoned today to go and deliver the gift that we had collected for her and her family, she very respectfully declined our help. She explained it this way. First, the insurance company had, in fact, come through with partial coverage for the damages to their home. Not enough to cover the damages, but some.  Second, she has been working extremely hard and long hours to pay the bills that would allow her and her family to get back into their home (as I mentioned last Sunday) AND she has been able to get them back into their house in time for Christmas, which has been her goal all along and is her Christmas gift to her kids.  She has taken a great deal of pride in the fact that she has been able to accomplish this herself and doesn't want anything to detract from that, which I can totally understand.  She suggested that there are a lot of people who need the help more than she does.

I can only appreciate where she is coming from and honour her wishes. I have made contact with those who made donations in order to explain the ramifications of this. For those who gave anonymously, your donations will be directed to our 'Benevelonce' fund which is used to help families in need receive counseling and practical and financial assistance throughout the year.

Again - thank you for your incredible generosity in this situation. Even though it didn't work out for us to bless this lady, I am so pleased at the Christ-like way in which everyone responded so readily.

I look forward to seeing many of you at PORTICO (1814 Barbertown Rd.) this weekend at one of our Christmas Eve services, 6pm or 8pm, and/or on Christmas morning at 10:30am.


IMPORTANT SCHEDULE CHANGE
I also need to make you aware of one other schedule change! PLEASE NOTE that we will also now be joining our larger family at PORTICO (1814 Barbertown Rd) on New Year's Day.  Many of our key volunteers were not going to be available for January 1st and so, rather than put the weight of all of the setup and tear down and tech responsibilities on a very small group, we have decided to enjoy the blessing of being with our larger family for one more Sunday.

However - I would love to connect with as many of our PORTICO Milton group as possible on that Sunday morning, Jan. 1st, 2012. So here is what we are doing. At 10:30am on January 1st I would like all of you to join me in Rm. 108 at PORTICO for coffee and fellowship, but also, and most importantly, to gather for a brief time of corporate prayer as we begin a brand new year asking God to continue to be with us and show us His favour and blessing as we move our fledgling campus forward.

I have timed this so that, whether you are coming to first or second service, it will still be convenient for you to join us.  Please pass this information on to anyone you know who has been coming to PORTICO Milton as we want to make sure everyone knows about the change.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Pastor Jeff

It's Official!

Praise God...It's official. The Milton Christian School (MCS) has been awarded the tender for the former Bruce Street Library building AND Milton Town Council has passed it in their meeting tonight (Monday).

This is truly an answer to prayer.  MCS had been informed that the church where they currently meet was no longer going to be available to them and were in desperate need of finding a new suitable location. The library building will not only work very well for the school but will give them room to grow.

It is also great for us at PORTICO Milton because MCS has invited us to share the facility for our purposes on Sundays. We are excited to partner with MCS in this venture and look forward to having a more 'permanent' space. God is GOOD!

We hope to see as many of you as possible at one of the two Christmas Eve services at PORTICO 1814 Barbertown Rd this Saturday (6pm and 8pm). Also don't forget our Christmas Day service at 1814 Barbertown Sunday at 10:30am.

Last but not least, if you would like to give something toward the single Mom and her family that we mentioned this past Sunday, you can drop off donations at the PORTICO office up until Thursday this week. This is a fantastic opportunity to bless a family this Christmas.

Merry Christmas Everyone,

Pastor Jeff

Twas' the Sunday Before Christmas

Well hello everyone. I trust that you enjoyed your surprise last Sunday. I am sure that all of you were thrilled to re-connect with Pastor Doug and have him preach at the campus. We also had a great time re-connecting with the main campus. But that's enough of that.

This Sunday we are all back to normal. No...I didn't say that Pastor Doug is not normal. I just...well... oh never mind!

This Sunday we will continue our series 'Making Sense of Christmas'. We look forward to enjoying your company once again and challenge you to invite a friend. We will be sharing the gospel message in a clear and concise way, inviting anyone present to say 'Yes' to Jesus. After all - that is our mission. 'Helping people find their way back to God'.

Here are a couple of items to remember:

• You prayed last Sunday for Mark Dennis who had a heart attack very early Sunday morning. Praise God, Mark went on Monday to Trillium Hospital and had the blockage diagnosed and a stint put in to rectify the problem and he is going home today! There will be months of after care, so please keep Mark and Arlene in your prayers. We rejoice at God's hand on Mark's life!
• We expect to hear some news on Monday December 19th about the former Bruce St. Library property. Please continue to pray.
• Christmas Eve, December 24, we will be joining PORTICO at the main campus, 1814 Barbertown Rd. Mississauga for one of two Christmas Eve Candlelight Services, 6pm or 8pm.
• Christmas Day, December 25, we will also join the main campus for a 10:30am Christmas Day Service.
• Back to normal schedule on January 1. 10:15am at the Best Western Milton Inn.

 God bless and we'll see you Sunday!

Pastor Jeff

December Musings

Wow...it has been over two weeks since I last posted. It seems that either forgetfulness, or the busy-ness of the season has overtaken me. Possibly I could attribute it to a bit of both, but that's enough about that.

This is a wonderful season of the year with many opportunities to engage in conversations about faith. In every shopping mall and on every radio station, songs about the Saviour's birth are played alongside all the Santa and reindeer songs. There is an openness at this time of year to the story of the gospel more than at perhaps any other time all year long.

The angels words remind us of the simplicity of the story and they are indeed, good news for us - and for anyone else who will take them to heart. 'Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord'  (Luke 2:10, 11)

This Sunday, we have a special surprise for you in PORTICO Milton, so make sure that you make an extra special effort to be there this week. And bring a friend.

Just a few reminders...

• Christmas Eve Services Saturday Dec. 24, 6pm or 8pm at PORTICO, 1814 Barbertown Rd. Mississauga
• Christmas Day Service Sunday Dec. 25, 10:30 am at PORTICO, 1814 Barbertown Rd. Mississauga
• New Years Day Service - back to regular schedule, 10:15 am at PORTICO Milton, Best Western Milton Inn.

Also - a brief update. As you know, a decision was supposed to be made Dec. 2 on the former Bruce St. Library property. The Town of Milton has pushed their decision back to Dec. 19th and so we encourage you to continue to fast and pray that this decision is made in favour of Milton Christian School getting the property so that we can share it with them! This would be a fantastic Christmas present for our new congregation.

Many Blessings,

Pastor Jeff