Church address:
5350 Baillie Street
Vancouver, BC
(on 37th Ave between Cambie and Oak)
Church office address:
2325 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6J 3J2
604.558.4400
St John's Vancouver Anglican Church is a community of Christians dedicated to the exposition and teaching of the Word of God, to the spreading of the good news of the Gospel at home and abroad, and to the application of God's purpose in our own lives and families.
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2011.09.04
A transition or an inflection point?
Transition: movement, passage, or change from one position to another.
Inflection point: an event that changes the way we think and act.
For some of us, the memories we associate with Nanton Avenue almost overwhelm us, for others, it’s not as significant. How can we ‘calibrate’ what’s happening? How should we think about leaving our church home?
It’s not necessarily ludicrous to suggest the current rupture in the Anglican world is the biggest event since the Reformation 500 years ago. Hundreds of congregations, not just Anglican, are moving out of their buildings across North America. The fundamental differences in belief are becoming clear – those that believe the Gospel and the need to turn from sin, and those that choose to subsume their faith to the culture of the moment.
As we grieve (or not) for what we’re leaving behind, and as we busy ourselves with the details of moving, let’s keep in mind the big picture. God is clearly at work. He is doing something to us and through us. And because He is, we need to be alert: alert to new opportunities to share the Gospel, alert to new ways of ministering to those around us, and alert to God’s guidance as we serve to glorify Him.
There is no greater mystery than the love that God has for us. His plan to draw us to Himself extends across millennia, and continues, by His grace, to this day. In this context our relocation, no matter how wrenching, is more than just a physical transition from one address to another. It’s about what God is leading us to and how He is transforming us. Perhaps this is an inflection point, and the real story lies ahead.
More encouragement
Dear friends at St John’s,
Just a short note to assure you of our prayers in the coming weeks as you move from your buildings and re-establish family life in a new building. Following our visit to you in May we have been humbled and encouraged by seeing God’s grace in all that you are doing at St. John’s. It looks as if our journey out of the Church of Scotland may well be significantly shorter than yours from the Anglican Church in Canada of some ten years. We value your prayers, that we will be neither bitter nor resentful and assure you of our prayers for you, asking God to bring fruit for the gospel in many ways in your midst.
Thank you so much for your partnership in the gospel.
Peter Dickson, Minister
High Church, Hilton, Aberdeen, UK
More gifts
Approximately $18,000 has been donated via our gift registry. Thank you for your generosity in helping us recreate our service style and aesthetic in our new home. The gift registry is constantly updated. See our web site, check with the church office, or contact Julie-Lane Gay 
Floor plans
The floor plans showing various St. John's activities at the Oakridge location are now available 
Oakridge Adventist Church Tour #1
Last Sunday evening a group of approximately 100 St. John’s Vancouver members toured the Oakridge Adventist Church. There was opportunity to review the worship space, some Sunday school rooms, and some of the meeting rooms. What quickly became apparent was that God’s provision for us is overwhelming. Here is the provision of a church that can accommodate our needs, hosts that are defining the words gracious and accommodating all within a short distance from our current home. We will have kneelers, we can leave our Bibles in the pews, there will be an altar table, there is a sound resistant room for parents that can hear and see the service.
The two most common comments were:
• "How amazing has God provided such a facility for us."
• "Is there any ventilation in the sanctuary?"
The answer is Yes, there are a couple of ways the sanctuary can be vented, this last Sunday it had just been closed up on the hottest day of the summer.
There will be a second opportunity to come and tour our new home, September 4th, 5:30pm
More reflections
We’ve reached a milestone and would like to mark it with a book. We invite you to write down your thoughts – perhaps your favourite memory, scripture verse, or a poem – as the St. John’s family transitions to a new stage in our life together, saying farewell to our present home and greeting the next. The book will be published and available to all our church family. Please send/write your reflections now so that we can include yours – and encourage others to contribute! Use the form available on the web site or on the Transition News table in the narthex. Please drop it off at the office or email it to Sandy Harmel . Please include your contact information so that Sandy can contact you to confirm that she has received it. If you sent your submission by email but have not received confirmation that it has been received, please send it again. Remember, 200 words or less.
Going public
As we move forward with the transition, our physical move will become more public and your friends, colleagues and acquaintances may engage you in conversation. This is a great time to explain what’s really happening and to share the Gospel. We have prepared a one page situation summary and a longer backgrounder to prepare you for these conversations. If you are approached by the media, be sure to direct them to Lesley Bentley, our spokesperson, rather than try to deal with the questions yourself. The situation summary can be found at the church doors. See the situation summary 
Check the transition Calendar
A longer summer!
Our 8:00 and 10:00 am Sunday morning service times will be extended this year. We’ll continue meeting together at these times until October 16 when we’ll switch back to 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 am.
