First Impressions - Connect Ministries

Nicole Yang (Pastoral Intern)

Praise God for the growth of the Connect Ministry! In 2022, we had 6 volunteers serving, and by 2023, we saw a doubling of our team with 12 volunteers joining. Moreover, in the same year, the number of people we connected with experienced a remarkable 58% growth.

Connected to church communities: 67 % of newcomers at connect table, did join a life group, discovery group or fellowship (for example, ILM fellowship, Care ministries group such as divorce care).

According to the Joshua Project, only 0.04% of the population in Turkey identifies as evangelical. However, through God's grace and divine plan, several Turkish families found their way to our Willingdon Church in 2023. The first family arrived in May, followed by the second family in June, and the third family in November. All these Turkish families have become regular attendees of Sunday services, and two of them are actively serving in the cafe ministry.

Interestingly, these Turkish families did not have any prior connections with each other. The first family Farhat and Nargul have been residing in Canada for less than a year. The introduction to Willingdon Church came through their children, who attend Moscrop Secondary School. Nargul shared, "My family needed food support, so I walked around the school neighborhood and saw the big building, thinking to myself, 'This might be a good place to ask for help.'"

Remarkably, Nargul initially didn't realize that the building was a church. Her first friend at the church, Joyce; the receptionist at the office, helped her in filling out the connect card, marking the beginning of their journey where Jesus has been steadily and beautifully drawing them closer to Him.

They later connected with the ESL ministry at Willingdon Church. Various church members warmly welcomed them by helping them find a place to live and teaching them English and Bible stories. Despite language barriers, the entire family eventually surrendered their lives to Jesus. Currently, Nargul and Farhat are active volunteers at the cafe ministry, showcasing the transformative power of God's love and the inclusive community at Willingdon Church.

Events and Cafe Ministry - Serving Jesus!

Ingrid Hopkinson (Manager)

The Events & Cafe ministry is a vibrant ministry that serves all other ministries by providing a hospitality service and facilitating an environment that fosters strong fellowship. This is often an entry point for those who are new to the church family, or for those who are still searching on their faith journey.

Our volunteers play a crucial role in creating a warm and welcoming place for everyone. While doing so, they are nourished spiritually and further in their walks with Jesus through the fellowship with other volunteers, and through the bonds of teamwork and friendship we have together. In the year 2023, we have had the privilege to welcome and train over 30 new volunteers in the Events and Cafe Ministry.

We pray that this ministry will continue to be a welcoming place for everyone, regardless of where they are in their walks of faith and stage of life.

Testimony Highlight

Claire was a Buddhist before she came to faith. It wasn't until the outbreak of Covid that her faith completely changed. Due to the isolation and issues related to immigration, she fell ill, grappling with the difficulties and pressures of life. She persistently asked the gods she once believed in to save her and bless her, yet she remained scared and hopeless.

During this challenging time, a friend introduced her to Willingdon Church. Through studying the Word and attending Discovery Classes, Claire discovered the one true God and experienced Jesus' love and saving grace. Her fear dissipated.

At Willingdon Church, she found her fellow brothers and sisters supportive, including those who are serving together in the Cafe ministry. Each one of them made her felt welcomed, and how they cared for her was something she had never felt before. Although serving in the Cafe on Sundays could be busy and tiring, everyone worked together as a team.

Through her volunteering experience, Claire learned that entrusting our worries to God brings peace and joy that surpass all understandings. Praise the Lord, and may all the glory be to Him alone.

Social Media - Building - Awareness!

Nathaniel Wong (Social Media Coordinator)

Our Communications team continued to build, post and create compelling content to draw people to take action to attend a service, watch a service online, engage in the community, attend a gathering or find out more about our church family. 2023 was a successful year overall; reaching on average 100 more people per day, providing a clearer CTA (call to action) for our congregation seeing positive feedback and creating more transparent and engaging content.

2023 Social Media Overview (Jan 1-Dec 31)

Instagram - 1,836 Followers (+376 from 2022)

An average of 649 Accounts were reached per post - 2022 (522) vs 2023 (649)

An average of 362 Accounts were reached per story - 2022 (274) vs 2023 (362)

An average of 17,035 Accounts were reached per month - 2022 (9658) vs 2023 (17,035)

12% of people who saw our posts engaged (Like, Comment, Share)

2020 (15%) vs 2021 (13%) vs 2022 (13%) vs 2023 (12%)

Our Profile was viewed a total of 13,191 times - 2022 (9,527) vs 2023 (13,191)

Ministry Highlights

Our initiative to highlight what our various ministries have been doing throughout the past month has been some of the most engaging posts.

The Outreach Christmas Production was shared over 250 times

Our photo booth has been a hit so far through 6 events since the fall festival

Our communications team, posted a weekly newsletter for our 1500+ weekly subscribers

Building Maintenance - Caring for God's House

Don MacLeod (Manager)

The church has always been committed to an ongoing maintenance program to ensure the facilities are in sound condition, functionally and esthetically. We truly feel that it is a reflection of who we are as believers. For the past four years, the elders approved the opportunity to accelerate our maintenance program and attend to some of the repairs/replacement projects which would normally have been very disruptive to our normal ministry demands on our facilities. The funds needed to carry out these maintenance projects were set aside in prior years as a result of our unified church budget disciplines. This resolution and discipline resulted in the completion of multiple projects, on time, and within budget.

A few projects in 2023 included:

A thorough clean-up and revamp were done in the secret garden to create a larger more usable area.

The Chapel Fireside entrance was fixed and replaced

At the front Willingdon entrance was upgraded to accommodate more flowers and greenery.

Two large offices were converted.

A broadcast room was created.

The Kitchen and bathroom in the translation area were renovated.

A new classroom was created in the old wing.

A large Battery run emergency power supply was created.

An emergency roof top generator was purchased.

Throughout the year 2023, we experienced God's sovereign hand in all of these projects, all pointing to the fact that our Lord is even in the smallest details!