Distractions

September 24, 2021

Hello Church Family—Distractions are all around us, constantly pinging and competing for our attention. Most of us are all too guilty of allowing distractions to rob us of our effectiveness, time spent with our loved ones, and simply doing the things that really matter most.

The world we live in today is highly distractable. There is a lot of money to be made from all of those distractions that come your way. Systems are finely tuned to ensure that those distractions are perfectly catered to you to keep you watching, looking, and reading along.

And yet, as we unpacked in our first message of the No More series, God speaks to us often in that still, small, quiet voice. But how can He possibly compete with all the noise created by all the distractions?

This weekend, we will look at saying “No More” to distractions while unpacking a familiar story in Luke 10:38-42. The goal is that we will leave with some really clear and simple steps to take that might allow us to set aside the distractions, in order that we might more closely be able to sit at the feet of Jesus. Can’t wait to see you there!

Brody Jespersen
Senior Associate Pastor

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation

As you may be aware Thursday, September 30 is the first official Truth and Reconciliation Day. Each September 30th, Canadians will recognize and honour the indigenous residential survivors.

In 2015, The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada published 94 Calls to Action, urging all levels of government—federal, provincial, territorial, and aboriginal—to work together toward repairing the harm caused by residential schooling and take steps toward reconciliation. Among the 94 Calls to Action, number 80 states, 

“We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”

This Thursday, our staff team will devote a portion of our day to reflect on what took place here in Canada and we’ll continue to grow in our understanding of why Truth and Reconciliation is so important.

I urge you to take the 94 Calls to Action seriously and to put some intentionality into participating this week. There are a number of ways you can play an active role in continuing the reconciliation process: 

1. The Alliance Canada has produced a Truth and Reconciliation Prayer Guide, available for download at no charge. 
2. Take the Indigenous Canada course through the University of Alberta. 
   • The U of A has made a 12-lesson online course available to audit for FREE, which enables anyone to explore Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada. 
   • There are nearly 400,000 people enrolled and, from everything I hear, it’s a game-changer!

Back on National Indigenous People’s Day in June, our Justice and Compassion staff began talking about taking additional steps as a church, including organizing day or evening trips to nearby residential school sites, in order to get up close and personal with the reality of our past. Public health concerns will keep us from doing that this fall, but I’m hopeful that when it’s safe and reasonable to do so, we’ll be able to make that happen.

Until then, I hope you’ll take me up on the challenge to grow in your awareness. I hope and pray that you will find some way to make September 30th, not your average day, as our nation marks Truth and Reconciliation Day.

Greg Hochhalter
Lead Pastor

If you believe in what God is doing at Sherwood Park Alliance Church, take the next step to become part of the team.

During this one-hour session, you will learn more about what Sherwood Park Alliance is all about and what it means to be a member. The class will be offered online on Tuesday, September 28.

Register at spac.ca/membership.

Explore how God is calling Sherwood Park Alliance to grow His ministry in the Millbourne Community. 

The morning of Saturday, October 2, will include a prayer walk around Millbourne. We will be praying for the people of the Millbourne community and asking God to prepare the minds and hearts of ourselves, as well as those with whom we will meet, as we begin the community engagement work.

Register to attend at spac.ca/millbourne.

Kids Ministries remains paused this weekend, however, we have a safe way to open up cohorts in the classrooms! Starting October 3, we will re-open Kids Ministries for all ages on Sunday mornings only.

If you wish your children to attend our October cohort, please register at spac.ca/welcomebackkids. Registration opens Friday, September 24 at 3:30pm.

Bring your non-perishable food items to the atrium on Thanksgiving weekend, October 9 and 10. We'll be collecting food for those in need. 

This year we're giving all food items collected to our We Care ministry. 

Alpha is a safe place to discuss, question, and find community. It's open to everyone, from those who are looking for life answers to those who are new in the faith.

Starting Tuesday, October 12 for 10 weeks, Sherwood Park Alliance will be hosting Alpha. Register at spac.ca/groupfinder.