Greetings Sturgeon Valley Church family,
We believe it is safe to say we are in an unprecedented season of our lives due to the world wide pandemic that we are experiencing. Although not related to the pandemic, family members of SVBC have recently experienced the loss of loved ones that has added to an already stressful situation. Our hearts and prayers go out to you as you mourn the passing of these family members. With the closures of schools and many businesses we are all striving to adapt. We lift up our prayers for those that are experiencing loss of work, a difficult work environment, or fear and loneliness. We care for all whatever your circumstance. We recently heard a message from Psalm 91 and from verse 4 we reflected on His comfort and assurance: “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”
Our weekly service is being streamed live at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday mornings which is a blessing. However, the fact that we are not physically meeting for services has created another challenge. Since moving to virtual services we have seen a significant decline in our giving. The church and the various ministries we are involved in are all solely supported by the faithful tithes and gifts of the SVBC family. We want to let you know that this support is critical for the continued operation of SVBC. Our staff remain very busy focused on supporting our church family through the live streaming service, visitation via phone, virtual meetings and the creation of online resources. We also continue to support our missionaries as they carry out God’s calling in the field. We have suspended funding on virtually all ministries not related to missions, staff and basic church operations. We are also looking at the possibility of leveraging any of the recently announced Government programs for financial aid. With the current level of giving we will be required to make some very difficult decisions that could result in the suspension of many ministries for a period of time that could impact missions and staff. We continue to think of ways to make giving as easy as possible. At this time we have five options to donate:
• Electronically utilizing our Canada Helps application by clicking here
• Interac e-Transfer (add financial@svbc.ab.ca as payee to your online banking)
• Utilize the church debit machine during regular office hours
• Deliver to office from Tuesday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Mail offerings to the church at 51 Woodlands Rd., St. Albert, AB T8N 3Y5
If you have questions regarding this or anything else pertaining to the church feel free to call the office during our regular hours of operation at 780 458 3777, send an email or visit the website for ongoing updates and information.
We care about each and every one of you. We want to ensure we are all supporting each other through these times. Even more important is our response to God. Deuteronomy 31:8 reads: “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Our heavenly Father is always there for us. Lift your prayers to Him and meditate on His Word. May He give you comfort like you have never experienced before.
Blessings,
SVBC Leadership