New Visitation Updates

Visitation Ministry gained new footing in 2023 as God's open door to bring His presence and healing to believers and non-believers alike, as we share God's love and truth with those we visit and others around them.

2023 saw transition in Care's visitation ministry as well as Pastor Walter and Elisangela assumed responsibility from Pastor Cynthia. Under this new leadership new opportunities for visitation quickly emerged. For example, New Vista Society reached out to Willingdon this past year and we send out a team to do three services across two locations every two weeks. In addition to the German-Canadian care home and the Willingdon Care Center, there are other exciting locations that we look forward to serving in 2024. Another highlight is that some Life Groups have chosen to serve together at these care homes alongside the Care Ministries team.

Increase in Young People seeking Counselling

The highlight of the past year of spiritual counselling was the increased number of young people, ages 16 to 18, seeking counselling.

Seeing their willingness to share their struggles in hopes of finding spiritual healing through biblical counselling was wonderful. Seeking spiritual guidance will help protect our young people from depression and isolation, especially those who believe that no one can understand them. It will also help strengthen their relationships with family and friends. Furthermore, it will protect them from seeking solutions to problems from other sources that are against Christian views.

We received feedback and testimonies about how spiritual counselling helped them understand many things and allowed them to develop a more robust and deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. Our desire is for people from Willingdon to find healing through different Soul Care ministries, continually grow their relationship with Christ and their community, and be equipped to help others.

Updates in Men's Counseling

2023 was a year of exciting growth in the care of men at Willingdon because consistent male-focused community fostered pivotal relationships and entry points into counseling, soul care, etc.

My initial role as "Men's Care pastor" helped me co-lead a new Men's Ministry initiative with Pr. Vinh that allowed me to quickly gain relational currency with the Men of Willingdon so they would trust me as a source of help with pastoral/biblical counseling and leading men through various Soul Care groups like Freedom Session, Sexual Integrity 101, Conquer Series, and Seven Pillars of Freedom (all of which took place in 2023).

Testimony Highlight

A story of God's healing hand (Patrick Vavra):

January 29, 2024
Hello, my name is Patrick Vavra and I've been attending Willingdon church for three years now. I live in North Burnaby ten minutes from the church. I've had such an 'up and down' walk with God for so many years now. I've never really been able to pinpoint the reason why I've pulled away from God in the past, and run in the other direction, thus adding to my shame. I've never felt good enough to press in and serve God entirely- making Him Lord over my entire life. I am finally starting to realize why now and it's a load off. I stumbled upon the Pure Desire course by accident by a friend in the church who told me it was a men's bible study. About halfway through the course, I realized how my unresolved childhood issues and broken past were undermining me from walking in Christ more fully. I honestly thought the past was the past and all had been forgiven. Boy was I wrong. There was a mountain of unresolved issues that I needed to take to the cross. The Pure Desire course is a resource that I recommend to all of the men that I meet at the church. Every guy I know is in his own private struggle in one way or another; usually trying to go it alone because it's difficult for men to share their feelings with other men. Or with anyone for that matter. Every man that I've met in my Freedom Session course has or is struggling with pornography at one point or another. These guys don't even know that the Pure Desire and 7 Pillars courses exist. I'm also surprised that they can barely grasp their need to take these courses. The Freedom Session course has also been a big blessing for me. I recommend everyone who is stuck in their journey with God to take the freedom session course. I'm only halfway through but I've had a tremendous breakthrough in repairing my relationship with Father God. I'm also halfway through the 7 Pillars of Freedom course. This has been the most difficult 5 months of my adult life. I've gone deep into my past childhood traumas and unearthed bottled-up devastating wounds which include sexual abuse and the abandonment of my parents when I was 10. There is no way I could have or would have dealt with these issues on my own. I've just decided to surrender to the process and keep showing up every week no matter how painful it is. This is the best 100 bucks I've ever spent on myself hands down. I just want to thank Pastor Richard and Willingdon Church for supplying the resources that I've needed at this time in my life. I believe that I will be able to serve God more effectively and freely because of the materials that you have provided. I wish I would have done this 10 years ago.

All the glory to God, and thank you,
Patrick Vavra