It is the beginning of a new year, 2020, and I wish you all "peace in the Lord." Why do we want to talk about peace? Because this is what the Lord Jesus has promised to all who believe in Him: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  John 14:27.

Peace is something very special, we clearly know whether we have it or not, and we really cannot pretend to have it. Peace cannot be fabricated, it flows naturally from the heart. In the course of my life as a Christian, personal peace from the Lord is something that I have experienced most. Before I believed in Jesus, I always lacked a sense of security, and I was prone to be suspicious of others. I also had poor interpersonal relationships. After I became a believer, I often pray for myself and ask the Lord to help me change my attitude towards life and grant me His peace. Once, I was having a meal in a restaurant, and the waiter was very irritated and rude. But I had peace, and I thanked him for his service with gentle words. Later, he actually ran over to apologize and told me about the difficulties he was facing. In the past, I would have been very angry and would counterattack his poor attitude.

Once an elder pastor listed out the reasons why people have no peace: sufferings in the world, personal health issues, internal worries and anxieties, unfortunate happenings, heavy burdens in people’s conscience, emptiness in their hearts, and broken interpersonal relationships. . Human beings are really limited in power. We cannot change the present nor control the future. This makes it very easy for us to lose peace. However, a person who trusts in the Lord can always receive peace from Him.

Lastly, let me share with you a little secret about peace from the Bible: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7. May true peace always be with you!

I participate in the Community Service Praise Dance class and workshops. Praise Dance a is very popular exercise. Biblical verses are used, accompanied with soft music. We exercise our limbs with rhythmic movements, soothing both our mind and body. Our instructor is patient yet serious. She is deeply respected by the participants. Every time after the one and a half-hour exercise, the students are full of spirit and totally refreshed and relaxed. As the students meet every week, they form good friendships with each other. In addition, there are different topics for the weekly workshop. These topics are carefully planned by the volunteers. The speakers are professionals from all walks of life. The members are very enthusiastic to attend.

Community Services not only give the believers in our Church an opportunity to exercise physically, but also attract people from nearby communities to join the programs. It is a beautiful thing. There is a large group of hard-working volunteers behind the scenes. They work together to develop these community activities. I hope that the church will continue to plan for more such activities in the future.

Sue Ngan

My wife and I have participated in the NYCBC community service programs for over four years now. We started from scratch here, not knowing one single person in the beginning. Now we have made a group of good friends, learning, singing, dancing, drinking tea and eating together harmoniously and joyfully. These programs allow people like us, who have retired but are still active, to relive their happy times from childhood and youth. What a Garden of Eden for learning, entertainment, making good friends and fitness!

The NYCBC Community Services not only provide a variety of activities, but also give people from the community a chance to learn about Christianity. Many have come to know Christ and joined the church through participating in these activities. My wife and I also began attending the Church after joining these activities. The tender care given by the pastors of NYCBC to the members for their spiritual and daily needs is exemplary. It stands out just like the Garden of Eden in this wicked world!

North York (Chinese) Baptist Church Community Service has always been committed to serving the community. We hope that we are not only helping our neighbors build up their physical health, but also their spiritual lives. Therefore, we take a well-rounded approach to help put these commitments and goals into practice. Various physical exercises and activities, workshops with special topics and interest classes are offered every Thursday. In order to pay attention to the spiritual health of the community, the pastor has also arranged a “Faith Seeking” lunch gathering on the first Thursday of each month. Every member will bring a simple lunch and we would discuss our faith in a casual and relaxed manner.

Along the way, we have met some members who are willing to seek the faith. After some time, some of them desire to go deeper to learn more about Christianity. The pastor of Community Service started a "New Life" gospel Bible study meeting for these people. A new life is like a young plant, which is to be planted by a stream of water in order for it to grow well. The Bible is the stream of living water, providing an indispensable source for growth of the spiritual life. During its growth, the plant also needs to be transformed. Transformation is “renewal and replacement”, which means that we are able to make wise choices. By learning more about our Creator, connecting with Him, and practicing the teachings of the Bible, our lives are renewed and transformed, and our spiritual health is built up.

After about a year, the people who participated in the "New Life" Bible study meeting not only deepened their friendships with each other, but their understanding of what new life means is also increased. Through studying the Bible together, and encouraging each other, their spiritual lives have grown gradually. When one understands more about himself through the Bible, he would know more about the One who created the heavens and the earth. Their lives would be renewed as they learn to live with new values. A new life is one which is centered on God, letting Him be the Lord of our lives.  Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, the life." Only through the Way of knowing the Truth can we have new life.

We sincerely invite anyone who is willing to pursue the faith to participate in our monthly lunch meeting to start exploring the faith. Perhaps you will be inspired to understand the mystery of truth and receive the greatest gift to mankind from our Lord Jesus, which is eternal life!

When I first came to North York (Chinese) Baptist Church, I was very impressed. The people here are kind and friendly, making a person like me, who gets to be anxious very easily, feel relaxed and comfortable. Workshops have diverse topics and more than ten interest classes are offered. I take part in the Praise Dance Class. The instructor cares for and encourages classmates to practice the movements of the body, hands and feet. We exercise in a relaxed environment.

The workers also informed me about an interest class for men, which I thought would be suitable for my husband to join. After going home and with some strong persuasions, he accepted the invitation. Initially, I was worried that he might not like it and would only try it once or twice, then come up with an excuse to quit the group. But it turned out that he got along well with the instructor and group members. They care for each other. I was relieved and happy. Now we can participate in different interest classes.  

I am even more pleased that under the leadership of the pastors, my husband and I decided to believe in the Lord in 2018. We are now going to Church worship frequently. Although life still has a lot of ups and downs, I feel at peace inside my heart!

North York Chinese Baptist Church (NYCBC) launched a church expansion project in the year 2000 and acquired the land at 685 Sheppard Ave. East to build a six-storied church building. Seeing the continuous completion of many condominium buildings in the vicinity, NYCBC deeply felt the need and responsibility to reach out to this community and to share the church's spaces and human resources with our neighbours. After more than two years of research, data collection and preparation, NYCBC’s Thursday Community Service was born on April 10, 2014!

I still remember, on that day, the volunteers, with high expectations and trepidation, started the first Thursday community service activities. Even when I think about it now, my heart still pounds with excitement! In the past five years, Community Service has grown like a newborn baby; now we have about 1,000 members with more than 200 people attending our activities each week, and the activities offered are much more diverse. The most gratifying part is that the friends who come to NYCBC all feel very much at home. Seeing these progresses, we can only honour God. The Bible says: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.”

We want to sincerely thank the many volunteers, including the speakers who share their professional expertise during our weekly workshops on specific topics, the instructors of various exercise and interest classes, as well as the volunteers who arrange special events, work at the reception, take care of the venue, look after audio/visual equipment, serve tea and refreshments, handle information processing, write computer programs, and so on. We are also very grateful to our partner – the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care for their contributions in workshops, chat rooms and various self-management courses. Your participation and support are our greatest encouragement!

Looking forward, we pray that our Lord will guide us to continue to effectively provide appropriate and high-quality services and activities to the community, so that we will be able to better meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the participants!

It has been more than four years since we participated in the Baduanjin exercise class. I recall that originally, we just wanted to take the opportunity to do some exercise and never expected the community activities offered by a church to be so lively and diverse. We have many different activities every week from Tuesday to Sunday, as well as special workshops on Thursdays to share different types of information to people of various ages and stages in life. All of these involves a lot of manpower and resources. You can imagine that for a non-profit organization, much professional talent and dedicated volunteers are needed to plan and organize these activities and to fulfill the mission of the church to the community. The joy of serving and sacrificial love is demonstrated by this group of people. Positive witnessing has been made to many people who do not know Christ. I hope that the angels of NYCBC will continue to have the love and the strength needed, so that more friends of the community will come to know the goodness and love of the Lord Jesus and receive blessings from the Lord.

Anthony Hong & Agnes Mao

Stella and I joined NYCBC community activities since its inception five years ago. This was our first experience after retirement to participate in such activities. Every Thursday, we have workshops on different topics. Apart from that, we have different exercise and interest classes. All these activities are run by volunteers who devote their time and energy with full enthusiasm and utmost effort to fulfill their duties with no compensation. All the members here strongly agree that these instructors should be highly respected and saluted. People here treat each other like brothers and sisters in a big family. Anyone with sickness, ill health, personal or family problems will immediately receive attention with counsels, care, and prayers. Throughout these five years, Stella and I have benefited from the community services of NYCBC with great improvement in health as well as gaining abundant knowledge in life, history, current affairs, and especially in the understanding of how to read Bible.

John Siu & Stella Chan   

Time flies, it has been five years since I started to participate in the community activities on Thursdays at NYCBC. When we first joined the praise dance class, we did not know what it is all about. Under the careful guidance of the instructor, we can now actually master this exercise. The movements are accompanied by beautiful music and meaningful lyrics. From the movements, we learn to be thankful and joyful. I also got to meet new friends in the class. Everyone cares for each other, and enjoys each other’s company. I hope that we will continue to have good health and participate in these community activities in the many years to come! In addition to thanking the instructor for her excellent teaching, we must also thank the church volunteers for their selfless dedication and hard work to arrange such rich and rewarding activities for us!

Raymond & Alice Chan

The weather has turned chilly earlier in the season this year. We see the maple leaves falling as time flies by quickly. We have spent almost 5 years now with everyone. Every Thursday, we all get together to learn from and encourage each other. We will walk through the rest of our glory days of life together; in the love and kindness of Jesus. People have worked hard to arrange all the activities. I sincerely thank you all for your support and encouragement in the past. In addition to the mission given to us by the Heavenly Father, your active participation and acceptance is the strength for us to persevere in our work.

There are indeed many things that we need to be thankful for. Such as when we see some elders pushing their wheelchair or walker around with a grateful smile. Knowing their past life stories made me respect them whole-heartedly. Some members, with their grateful hearts, have become volunteers serving in different capacities, such as helpers, workshop speakers, and even instructors. The brothers and sisters of our sister churches show no partiality by sharing with us gracefully and serving the community with their precious expertise and time. 

Of course, we must be thankful for benefits, but it is our nature to be ungrateful or forget to be so at times. For example, sometimes when our selfless workshop speakers share their valuable knowledge and present us with some gifts or handouts, we would grab them all instantly, before even saying a word of thanks, leaving our hosts and their respected speakers embarrassed and puzzled! I wish that we would be more thankful, and our grateful hearts can show through naturally, in all our behaviours!

Even if we don't gain any tangible benefits, we can still be thankful as many things that are beyond our knowledge and control. Who knows, maybe there are better and brighter things in our unknown future in the end? We have been gathering in Serena Gundy Park for an outing in the last two years, and have experienced beautiful weather that God has blessed us with after listening to our prayers. The day before each outing, there was forecast for rain the next day, and the time that the rain was predicted to fall would change from time to time. Some people worried that the grass would be too wet for our activities, and some, out of their good hearts, proposed to cancel the outing, otherwise we would be responsible for the outcome. However, both days turned out to be wonderful, bright, sunny and with a comfortable breeze. As a result, during our prayer of the day, in addition to thanking the Father for the good weather, we also asked God to give us the ability to respond to unexpected events, and to remain grateful in the face of unanswered prayers. Because the bible says, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20a)

The Community Service outing gave me a lot of pleasant surprises and good memories. The day before the event, it rained all day. However, on the day of the event, the sun shone brightly. The trees, grass and flowers appeared to be more vibrant after being washed afresh by the rain. We could only admire the wonders of the Great Creator. Over 100 people attended the outing. We all sang, danced, and played together in the shades under the trees in the sun. We also enjoyed a hearty and delicious lunch together. We were able to meet many friends. In a relaxed and happy atmosphere, my heart was also at peace. It was really rare to have such a wonderful time!   

I have attended the Cantonese language Tai Chi classes almost every Thursday since May 2017. I am not Christian, I am not Chinese, I do not speak or understand Cantonese, and I did not know Tai Chi. One of the participants who did an exercise class with me at another location, upon hearing that I was interested in Tai Chi, invited me to try a class at her church. I decided to approach it as a means of keeping my mind fit: using the right side of my brain to follow the instructions without understanding the words. It turned out to be a wonderful experience.

The NYCBC Tai Chi teacher is obviously a world class expert. However, even more important, the ethos of the NYCBC community services program is genuine; strangers are made truly welcome, with no overt expectation that they will become Christian and/or members of the church. Every church member clearly, and simply, wants the best for the newcomer; my wife and I were overwhelmed at the royal treatment we received when we came to the Chinese New Year party. Thank you, and may you continue, as it says in the Bible, Isaiah 49:6 to be a “light unto the nations”.

I have been in Canada for a few years now, and I am really grateful for what I have received. Looking back, I had a very difficult time adjusting in the beginning. The life style here was too quiet, it was not vibrant at all. There were no places for people to mingle with others. Our daily activities were routine and boring! 

It was during this lonely time that a friend invited me to the Community Services of NYCBC.  I was attracted immediately when I first arrived and felt at home seeing the smiling faces of the people here. Their friendliness and kindness made me feel welcome! I joined the Praise Dance Class right away. 

After a year's practice and under the patient and detailed instruction of the teacher, I not only feel fit, but also made lots of friends. It is really great! I am grateful that the Church has given us this opportunity to learn and keep fit with a comfortable environment and very comprehensive services.

I have been participating in the North York (Chinese) Baptist Church Community activities for over three years. I am a very serious person and actually spent time observing two classes before deciding to join. The classes are well organized and very orderly. The venue is spacious and clean, making every participant feel welcome and comfortable. I respect the teachers very much because they are all highly skilled, whether they are teaching Baduanjin or Tai Chi. Furthermore, they take great care in teaching, giving clear instructions and showing no partiality. They patiently correct students’ gestures, movements and pace. I benefited a lot here. I used to have pain problems with my hands. Acupunctures and massages did not help. However, with the Baduanjin exercises, this problem was resolved.  

Every Thursday, I arrive at the Church 30 minutes before class and get ready to enjoy the day. Unfortunately, for various reasons, some students fail to come on time, affecting the flow of the class. As a participant, I hope that everyone will cherish the excellent services that the Church provides by practicing diligently at home, so that we can all maximize the benefits from the Baduanjin class and the Tai Chi class. Hopefully, the careful teaching from the instructors would not be wasted.   
Praise  

In 1978, the Chinese government proposed reformation and opening up as the nation’s development directions. It pointed out three aspects that needed to be actively pursued: community services, community environment, and community culture. From this we can see that to build a healthy and harmonious society, we need to develop all three areas in a well-balanced way and all are indispensable.

Community services refer to providing services that are appropriate for residents and helpful to daily living. These services can be related to physical health such as classes for Tai Chi, Baduanjin, aerobics, brain health exercises, etc. Of course, physical exercise is only one part of community services. Healthy community services also care for people's daily spiritual needs. All in all, the services provided by North York (Chinese) Baptist Church Community Service Ministry, whether they be fitness classes, interest classes or workshops, are focused on relevance and helpfulness to our neighbours in the community.  

Community environment is not only about the environment of our community, but also addressing the needs of the residents and how government policies may affect people’s livelihood. The workshops provided every Thursday are typically closely related to people’s need in terms of their health knowledge, livelihood and government policies.
  

As for community culture, what do people desire? I think it is a culture of love. We all yearn to be loved and cared for. If we can support each other and care for each other in a community, then this community must be a favourable area that everyone wants to live in. To build a culture of love, we must first understand the source of love; the Bible says: “We love because God first loved us.” (I John chapter 4, verse 19) Only when we know the source of love and establish a loving relationship with this God who loves us, we can see a community of love among us. We will then build up this community culture of love together. To establish this community culture of love, is also a vision of the Community Services Ministry of North York (Chinese) Baptist Church. I hope that we will all be working together towards this common vision and move forward into a bright future.

 

I have benefited a lot by joining the NYCBC Community Service Knitting Club. The most important benefit is the training on how to cope with "mistakes". Since childhood, I have never had any interest in knitting. I have no talent in this area, and typically did not pay attention to details. I have no patience to study any patterns and appreciate fashions. Mental concentration is very important in knitting, otherwise, no matter how hard we try there will be many mistakes and omissions. I have repeatedly made the same mistakes and also messed up the yarns countless times. From there I learned how to be patient, not getting irritated or anxious easily. I can remain calm and persist until the task is complete. I am no longer afraid of making mistakes and also able to understand others' mistakes. Knitting is therapeutic. I have heavy responsibilities in my job, and coupled with housework, I get tired and stressed easily. In all the busyness, it is very good to be able to take the time to sit down alone and start to knit stitch by stitch. I gradually become calm, forgetting everything around me. I feel a strong sense of accomplishment when I see that I have successfully completed my project with my own hands. This is priceless. I don’t need to see a psychologist or take any stress medication. 

Every time I read the Bible, Genesis chapter 12 verse 1 which says, " The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. "  I find it   incredible! In obedience, Abram willingly traveled to Canaan with his family. But when I came to Toronto two years ago, I was a total stranger here, with no friends and no job. The people around were unfriendly, impolite and rude. Everyone seemed so busy and impatient. I often asked myself why I came here, I was struggling and complaining. 

Later, I started to go to NYCBC. Not only did I befriend some brothers and sisters in Christ, but also met new friends in the community. We exercise together. Our instructors are very patient, and we enjoy a comfortable environment. The Heavenly Father must have His good intentions by allowing me come to this church. Now my husband and I not only attend the church’s Sunday worship services and fellowship, we also serve in the ministry. I begin to understand more on what God said in the Bible Isaiah chapter 55 verses 8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
 

The first ever picnic organized by Community Services was held on August 3rd.  It was a clear day and  the sky was blue, surely an ideal weather for picnics. I recalled that it was pouring cats and dogs just a couple of days before. I was worried, thinking about the possibility that we might have to follow plan B, a picnic inside the church building! Thanks to the Lord, He gave us perfect weather on that day! 

After more than two months of hard work in preparation, the organizing committee planned and carried out a perfect event. Firstly, our Tai Chi instructor led more than 100 participants together in the exercise, it was quite a spectacular sight. Then the Baduanjin instructor led us to do some dances, training our hands and feet coordination. Afterwards we had group games, brain teasing activities, riddles and quizzes, showing how knowledgeable and smart our members were! Flexibility, witty quick actions and a high degree of team spirit were demonstrated! 

The lunch served was very well-received. The Food Preparation Group presented a freshly baked piping hot chicken leg as the main course, accompanied with vegetables, apple salad, corn and dessert. Everyone enjoyed this delicious meal. After lunch, it was free time, people were dancing, singing, chit chatting etc. ... we all had lots of fun!

Thanks to our Heavenly Father for His provisions and grace. The event was very successfully and smoothly run. Everyone's face was lit up with vitality and big grins. Despite people’s age, they all are still very energetic. Strong friendship and love were shown among all. Everyone put their best effort forward, helped each other, including providing car rides, leading games, handling food, distributing lunches, etc. After the event was over, a set of slides including all the photos and videos was produced, so that people could watch and remember the fun activities.  I was very pleased when I saw that everyone was working hard towards the same goal, united in spirit, supporting each other and participating together, just like a big family. I thank the Lord for His leading and protection for the development of Community Services. The cooperation, interactions and care for each other, as well as  the living witnessing demonstrated by brothers and sisters to lead the unbelieving friends in knowing about Christ, are all intertwined into a beautiful picture shining in our local community.
 

Remembering when I first joined the ranks of ‘early retirees’, I was both joyous and anxious. I have never stopped working my entire adult life, I was a workaholic. I wondered, how would I be able to fill my day after retirement? I was really confused! Later, I learned from a friend that NYCBC has a variety of programs every Thursday for us ‘prime timers’. I still remember the first time when I stepped into the church to register for this program, a sister showed her sincere caring by leading me through. Although I was a stranger, I felt very comfortable and peaceful inside. Not only am I grateful for the arrangements by the church and the participation of brothers and sisters, I also deeply admire and appreciate the professional instructors and their unconditional care for us so that we can have opportunities to exercise and gain new knowledge with great joy. Praise dance is my favorite activity. The instructor provides us with lively yet simple movements, accompanied by music with words of God. Every time I do praise dance, I feel like I am at home having an intimate relationship with God. I truly feel His love and presence

I never thought that I would be going to a church. I didn’t even know NYCBC existed although I live very close to it. By chance, I started coming to their Thursday's community service programs and participated in Tai Chi and knitting classes. This allows me to learn things that I have never known before. Our Tai Chi instructors are very attentive in correcting the postures and moves of all the learners. They take the trouble to repeatedly demonstrate the movements and take care of new participants. They guide and encourage everyone to exercise at all times. There are two very experienced instructors in the knitting class. We not only learn skills from them, we also learn from them important life philosophy such as persistence and perseverance to keep on completing the knitting projects at hand. We also learn how to better manage our time, so that we live a balanced life between working and relaxing.

One of the greatest benefits of joining community service activities is a chance to meet a group of Christian friends. They help me to know God. I learned to read the Bible to gain a better understanding of God's Word. In order to learn more about the biblical truths, I also join the Church’s women Bible study group. I have decided to become a Christian and hope to be baptized in NYCBC in the future. I am convinced that this chance is given to me by God. I want to thank Him for bringing me great joy and peace.