Download a Word Document of this if preferred.

March 27, 2020

Message to WRBC Church Family

Re: Giving in the season of Covid-19

Worshipping in the time of physical isolation is not easy! God desires relationship and relationship is best done in community. Coming together to worship is a way we nurture that relationship… with God and with each other. Still, God cannot be relegated to any one form of fellowship, so we know He is with us in this time of physical isolation, each in our own homes. Isn’t it great to know that the one we worship is receiving our worship regardless of how many are in one place?

We have been communicating with you over the past weeks to remind you that in this time of virtual services, there are different ways you can continue to worship your Heavenly Father through giving.

Think of this time as the virtual offering basket time.

While we recognize many of you might be feeling financial stress due to potential or real job loss or lay off and others with uncertainty of income due to market effects on your retirement income, we know you are still wanting to give in some way.

As we respond to this unprecedented season you are asked to prayerfully consider how you can continue to support the work and ministry of WRBC financially. Some of you already give by direct debit. This will continue regardless of our coming together. Most of you give when attending a service, in fact 70% of our weekly offering comes in cheques and cash. This is putting some pressure on our cash flow.

I just wanted to remind you this morning about the various ways you can continue to give, even if we are not meeting here together.

…. they are also listed on our website: https://www.whyteridgebaptist.ca/give/)

1. Take advantage of giving from home by using the Tithe.ly app.
2. Set up automatic giving from your bank account (please refer website or contact Shirley Wynne – sawynne@shaw.ca or 204-781-9187 for the set up form).
3. Send money to the church electronically by e-transfer (to do this you can contact the church office by phone or email, Shirley Wynne or Krista Wynne directly) Office@whyteridgebaptist.ca
4. Send cheques to the church via Canada post
5. Here is a new one…. If you want to give but cannot get out for whatever reason, we have a few good people standing by to come to your home to pick up a cheque or cash offering…. Anytime, anywhere (well almost!). Please call or email Shirley Wynne or Kathy Kornelsen to arrange: sawynne@shaw.ca or 204-781-9187; Office@whyteridgebaptist.ca or 204-489-3875
6. Drop by the church during office hours to drop off a cheque or cash (2405 McGillivray Blvd)

May God be Glorified in how we as a congregation respond to this new and challenging season.

Your Finance Committee is meeting regularly to monitor and manage our church’s financial affairs. Your prayers for wisdom and discernment are appreciated.

Bob Fast

On behalf of the Finance Committee

Welcome to Whyte Ridge Baptist Church!  

Click HERE to fill our our Welcome Card or to make a Special Request!

As reported earlier, the government of Canada has passed a law which makes the recreational use of marijuana legal in Canada.  This law is set to come into effect on October 17, 2018. Besides exposing youth and vulnerable groups to the public health and safety risks associated with cannabis use, as well as sending the message that drug use is acceptable, this law will place Canada in violation of the United Nations Conventions on Narcotic Drugs, as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child; both to which Canada is a signatory and party.  The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime issued a statement regretting the decision of the Canadian government to legalize marijuana for non-medicinal purposes.

There is an on-line petition available.  The purpose of the petition is to call on the International Narcotics Control Board to intervene and bring this matter to the immediate attention of the General Assembly of the United Nations in order to apply international pressure on the Trudeau government to revoke marijuana legalization and to recommit itself to these conventions it has agreed to uphold. It is available here:

https://www.citizengo.org/en-ca/fm/164840-call-canada-revoke-cannabis-legalization-and-uphold-its-treaty-obligations

Please sign it, to protect Canada’s youth and vulnerable populations, to uphold Canada’s UN Treaty obligations and to stand against the moral decline of our society. Legalization of marijuana would affect every Canadian in numerous ways. No one is immune. Let us act while there are still some things we can do.

Related Resources:

Canadian Senator Betty Unger, an opponent of cannabis legalization, posted a chart called “Top 10 Myths of Marijuana” to dispel some of the misinformation that is being propagated concerning cannabis. It is very informative. Please see it here:

http://archive.citizengo.ca/Top-Ten-Myths-About-Marijuana-large.jpg

Here is a very informative episode from a Christian TV show, “The Faytene Show,” featuring the topic of marijuana. In this show, she is exploring the legalization of marijuana with University of Toronto expert on pharmacology and toxicology, Dr. Harold Kalant. Please watch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWK_HDi3sQ8

The state of Colorado legalized marijuana in 2012. Let us learn from their mistakes. Here is a video from CBC warning us of the price to pay.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/thenational/black-market-for-pot-growing-despite-legalization-in-colorado-1.4675640

If you have any questions or would like to talk about this matter, please contact Tony and Ayumi Nakazato at candy_igazato@hotmail.com

Canada has had no laws regarding the issue of abortion since 1988 when the Supreme Court struck down the law which had been in place. It means abortion is allowed on demand at any stage of fetal development, by any method and for any and all reasons.

The only other nations in the world which have absolutely no laws on abortion are North Korea, China and Vietnam (http://www.prowomanprolife.org/2014/02/25/canada-is-one-of-four-countries-without-abortion-restrictions/).

Brad Trost, a Conservative MP from Saskatchewan, has sponsored a petition to the House of Commons which calls for: “respectful debate with the intent to form an all-party committee that will draft a bill governing the conduct of abortion in Canada”, and “that consideration of this bill will be by a free vote in the House”. The goal would be to pass a law that will balance the rights of a pregnant woman to choose with the rights of the unborn, as well as other stake holders such as the father and the parents of pregnant, pre-adult females. Laws would also provide limits on the use of abortion to prevent or reduce the number of births of certain racial groups, to limit the practice of gender selection and to protect the physically/developmentally challenged.

Do you believe that all life is ordained, created and sustained by God from conception to natural death so that our attitude must be for life not against? If so, we ask you to sign the petition at:

 https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-1651

If you have any questions or would like to talk about this matter, please contact Tony and Ayumi Nakazato at candy_igazato@hotmail.com.

Thank you very much.

We will move to one service on July 1 at 10:00am