Hello Dear Friends,                    

                                                  Warmest Christian greetings and Happy New Year! We hope you had a great Christmas celebration with your family and friends…at least, as many as you could accommodate! 

PRAYERS FOR YOU – Can you believe it! We are on the threshold of 2021! Wow! How time seems to take wings and fly by so very quickly! New experiences await us as we continue our journey of life. It is more than reassuring to know that God is with us – Emmanuel is not just His Name at Christmas time – He is with us 24/7! We can face the future with fear and trepidation or faith and trust in God! When Joshua was leading God’s people across the Jordan River he instilled a confidence in God by saying “Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before…” (Joshua 3:4) And, it is true, we have not been “this way before”! Further, there are wonderful words of advice and wisdom in Paul’s teaching to the church at Ephesus: Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.…” (Ephesians 5:15, 16). That our prayer for you as we enter 2021: (1) confidence/trust in God and (2) living wisely, making the most of every opportunity. 

SUNDAY SERVICE/ONLINE CHURCH – Each Sunday @ 10:00 a.m. is the day and the hour when online church begins on YouTube. As mentioned in our last email, the province of Ontario will be in a 28-day lockdown beginning at midnight tonight. That means we will not be permitted to meet as a congregation until, at least, January 24, 2021. We pray the restrictions will be lifted by then and we can meet at the church facility again. We will keep you posted for sure! In the meantime, please plan to join us each week online should you have the electronic capability to do so. Here is the link: www.evangelnapanee.com 2021 CONTRIBUTION ENVELOPES – Most of you have picked up your envelopes and thank you for doing so.  We hand delivered some and others are still in the foyer at the church. We will see if we can get these to you somehow. If you are able, please drop by the church on Tuesday or Thursday morning between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. 

THE FOLLOWING MINISTRIES WILL RESUME AS SOON AS THE RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED: KIDS’ MINISTRY * PLAYGROUP – Please visit our website kids@evangelnapanee.com for current information regarding children’s ministries.

180º YOUTH –Thank you for continuing to pray for them.

MONDAY NIGHT PRAYER MEETINGS – It will be good to get back to the prayer meetings again! We will keep you posted!

SMALL GROUPS – Thank you, Group Leaders, for contacting me. Some materials are ordered and will be available to you. It is anticipated that Small Group ministry will be at the church facility when we restart. If you have any prayer needs please email me at Cal.Anthony@paoc.org or telephone me at 613-354-4281 or 613-243-1163. If there is no answer, please leave a message and we will respond to you. We will certainly be happy to pray for you!   

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27 – Hopefully you will tune in online for our final Sunday morning service for 2020. Rev. Dan Collado will be our guest and join me for this “interview” time. He and I will be chatting about ministry across Canada, particularly as it relates to aboriginal nations and Aboriginal Bible Academy’s (ABA) response to ministerial and discipleship training. There will be a testimony or 2 of those who have come to faith in Christ! It will be a great morning as we celebrate a time of praise and worship. While there are lots of memories and encouragements from the past our best days are ahead!!!! I sure hope you are encouraged these days…let’s focus on the good things of God and the many blessings on our lives. Give your burdens and anxieties to the Lord! 

COMMUNION – Next Sunday, January 3, 2021 we will celebrate communion together. You are encouraged to join us with your whole family and participate in this very significant time. Even though we will not meet in person, yet the presence of the Lord is with us no matter where we are physically located. Please ensure that you have the bread and juice already prepared. 

PRAYER NEEDS – There are many needs for which to pray: Joan, a little 4-year old boy suffering from a brain tumor, Lorraine (back home again!! PTL!!), Ralph (doping well), Tim, Laura, Olivia, our youth and leaders, our seniors who are shut-in, Pat, Bonnie, Angela, John, Shawn (seeking employment), Robbie (taking treatments), Andrea, unspoken need(s), Allan, Elizabeth, Linda , Bill, a husband needing the Lord and a physical healing, Paige (15 years of age), Stewart’s granddaughter, businesses and business people, new pastor, unspoken needs, live-streamed church service, Kids’ Sunday School/Ministry, Global Workers. There may be others that we should add to this list. Please let us know if that is the case and we will gladly include them. You may reach us at office@evangelnapanee.com or 613-354-4281. There are lots of prayer needs and they all include both the spiritual and physical! 

PASTORAL SEARCH – Resumes will be received for the Lead Pastor position from January 4, 2021 until Sunday, January 31, 2021. This time period will take us a little beyond the scheduled lockdown – we expect to have interviews as soon as it is logistically possible. Your continued prayers are so valued! 

BIBLE READING –  Believe it or not you have read almost the entire Bible through during 2020!!! Congratulations on a great accomplishment! We did not challenge you to read Leviticus, Deuteronomy or Numbers – of course, you may do this even though it is very tedious reading! The new challenge for Bible reading as we begin the new year is in the New Testament John’s Gospel for January. This is a 21-day read so let’s add the 10 chapters of I and II Timothy to make up the 31 days! I pray these Scripture readings are ministering strength to you each day. Here’s the verse of Scripture we leave with you each week: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom…” (Colossians 3:16). 

ADMINISTRATION – There are a few items we need to keep in mind: OFFICE HOURS – the office will be open each Tuesday & Thursday – 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we, once again, navigate the current lockdown.

The SPECIAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING scheduled for Sunday, January 17, 2021 to adopt the amended Local Church Constitution will be postponed until further notice. Please watch my emails for updates. We continue to invite your comments/possible amendments before January 3, 2021. Contact me directly if you have any questions. This item of business will bring our Constitution up to date.Other business items are on hold until a later date.

RENOVATIONS/UPGRADES will continue as planned since construction work is not subject to lockdown like public meetings. Also, there will be less than 10 people present at one time.130 new and very comfortable chairs have been ordered and should arrive by late January/early February. The cost per chair is $80.00 which includes taxes, shipping and delivery. Would you consider a donation of $100.0 for a chair? The extra $20.00 will assist us in other renovations/upgrades. Please join June and me in participating! Simply mark your church envelope as “New Chairs/Upgrades”. Thank you for considering. All of this will be a really good addition to the “freshness” of the building and, specifically, the overflow sections.

2020 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, 2021 BUDGET & ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – The 2020 financial review engagement will be conducted over the next few weeks. This, plus the 2021 budget, will be presented to you in due time. The Annual General Meeting will be announced at a later date. 2021 will bring new pastoral staff and the operational/ministry at Evangel will be at “full steam”! I am praying that there will be more than enough financial resources…not simply making ends meet but “…immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine…”! (Ephesians 3:20)YEAR END GIVING – Today, December 27, 2020 is the last day for 2020 contributions. A couple of days are necessary as the accounting is closed and preparations are made to open a new year. The tellers will be counting the final offering and we can “squeeze” in your contribution if you arrive by 9:00 a.m. on Monday, December 28. Thank you for your faithful, sacrificial and generous giving. This has been a very challenging time and we are grateful to the Lord and you for financial resources that allowed us to keep on target with supporting our Missionaries and paying the bills. Both Missions giving and the General Fund are down overall and we hope we can see a bit of a spike in these 2 areas before the books are closed. Thank you again for doing your part! God bless you for that! 

MISSIONS NEWS… David & Eileen Courey, BELGIUMPray for favour for Dave and Eileen with students, churches and communities they have the opportunity to impact. Pray that God will bless them with wisdom and guidance to mentor and disciple well, and for creativity and anointing in writing and preaching. Pray also for continued student enrolment at the seminaries they are involved with. 

WORLDWIDEPray continually for God to intervene in the spread of the COVID-19 virus, which has infected more than 75,479,470, and killed nearly 1,686,270 people around the world.1 Pray for healing for those infected, and comfort for those who have lost loved ones. Ask God to strengthen and protect frontline and essential workers and to grant peace to their families who are concerned for them. Pray that, as many countries begin to ease restrictions, their economies will respond well and new infections will be limited. Pray for extra protection for people in developing countries who are already malnourished and more vulnerable to this disease. Pray also for the hundreds of PAOC global workers who have remained in the country of their calling, serving their communities and displaying the love of Christ throughout this global pandemic. 

EVANGEL’S MISSIONARIES/GLOBAL WORKERS GWsYour prayers for our GWs are critical. Some of them are experiencing very challenging times with the reality of reduced financial support re COVID- 19.Thank you for taking the time to include them in your daily prayer times and for your faithful giving. Evangel has not had to cut back on financial support of our Missionaries and, for that, we are truly grateful to the Lord and to you! This is faithfulness in action! Please continue to remember Travis & Jesse (RAN), Dan & Belinda Collado (ABA, Canada), Jarren & Cindie Hildebrandt (Thailand), Kingston Pregnancy Care Centre (Elizabeth Sacrey), Julia Mills Scott & Melissa Williams (Spain), Janette Tirado (Peru), Laura Benson (Uganda), Deborah Sirjoosingh (Kenya), Cal & June Anthony (Eurasia) and Raul & Lily Carrasco (Spain). Everyone needs prayer and everyone deeply appreciates it! During 2021 let us continue to be sensitive to the many needs locally, nationally and globally. Perhaps all of us can increase our financial giving to Missions and outreach in the days ahead! We continue to pray the same prayers for you this week as described above and in these Scriptures: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) and “The God of peace be with you all.” (Romans 15:33). Stay close to God and keep the faith! Cal & JuneInterim Pastors