Stories
Stories...
They move us.
They inspire us.
They break us open.
They show our brokenness and help bring healing.
They are us.
This is a simple page, filled with normal people, and their extraordinary stories.
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The Lobby's storyhear
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Clay and Denise's storyhear
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Dan Lowe's storyhear
Jeanine Lowe's storywhats your story?
03.22.2011
Cindy Palin:
Dear Friends, Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ,
Some time ago, I attended City Centre with my daughter Laura and her new hubby Wesley Hallman.
God had been speaking to me about something that I had kept tucked in my heart.
During the service I heard of a dinner being served on Sunday nights in the Lobby.
This was a confirmation to my spirit about what God had been whispering.
I continued to wait on the Lord, and then another time when we were going to Edmonton again, I was prompted to call a friend and begin the ball rolling on
the Single Parent Dinner idea.
Through Julie at your church, I was put in touch with another lady from another church and the Single Parent Dinner dream began.
Almost two years later we are now embarking on two new adventures, one is a single parent retreat scheduled for April 9th and the other is a CD Release sometime in May or June.
I was at your south location church plant on Sunday and felt the Holy Spirit prompt me to go up for prayer.
Three people prayed for me on Sunday and I wanted to thank them and tell them that God used them to encourage me and confirm God's plans!
Key words
..this is just the beginning
....keep on dreaming
....keep on asking
.....prayer
.....an outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Thank you for being a church of prayer and of action!
03.11.2011
Josh Chapman:
Hope Mission Youth Shelter
So, here is a run down of what happened. Last Our Heart Experience event that we did at The dream centre there came up in conversation with the ladies that some of them loved bubble tea, Some didn't (which we just assured them they have tried the wrong ones. lol) and some had no idea of what it was. After the night, Matthew Remley and a couple others thought it would be an awesome idea to bless the ladies with some bubble tea sometime in the future. So, when we thought we might possibly go back in two weeks to help out again, we kinda figured that would be a good time. Later on I found out that I couldn't make it to the event if we were to go back on march 10 (two weeks from the last event), but still figured we could bless them with some bubble tea anyways. So the planing started. I had a friend that I knew for years that worked at Dream Tea house off whyte ave. I contacted her and started to partner with her and presented to our idea of a blessing and asked if they would partner with us to achieve this blessing. She replied back that she would see what she could do. She replied back with asking what Organization we were going to do this for and what they did there. I explained what The Edmonton Dream Centre did for women in crisis in detail, and that we also, through City Centre Church, work with other organizations to help them out. She thought this was really good, so she presented the idea to the owner/boss and they agreed they would help out. So they told me to stop on by and they had a gift card for me to use towards blessing The Edmonton Dream centre. Matthew and Karina Remley from our church came with me and we picked up the gift card and bought enough bubble teas for each women that stayed at the dream centre. We picked all safe tasty flavours and brought them to the Edmonton Dream centre. Earlier on when I got Confirmation that Dream tea house would help us out I phoned Julie at the dream centre and got permission and also told them that we had a donation of clean supplies for them as well. They were excited and confirmed that we could come by and drop them off. When we arrived at the Edmonton Dream centre they let us up. We handed the cleaning supplies off to julie and she told us to go upstairs to the 4th floor where the girls were working to give them their bubble teas. When we got up there all the girls remembered us and some gave us hugs and were blown away that we would bless them like this. We did a little catch up to see how they have been doing and then apologized that we couldn't stay and had to leave. They were understanding and super happy for the bubble tea. Karina and Matthew told me while they were leaving that it really brightened their day to see the Joy on the Ladies faces. We were only at the dream centre in total for 15 to 20 mins. It was a good success and we also thanked Dream tea house for partnering with us to make this blessing so easy.
Blessings my friends, Josh.
08.13.2010
Lisa Ballantine:
Filter Pure
Dear City Centre church, I would like to thank you for your participation in the saving of Haitian lives during this time of crisis for the people of Haiti. As you are well aware the earthquake in Haiti is considered to be the greatest humanitarian disaster in modern times. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost since that day in January. One of the major issues facing the people of Haiti is their water supply. The little access that they had in Haiti to potable water was destroyed with the earthquake. While so many died in the earthquake, the effect of the aftermath of disease and lack of clean water has the potential to kill more people than the earthquake itself. Haiti is now facing disease of epidemic proportions. Waterborne diseases such as Typhoid and e.coli have been devastating the camps. Your generous donation brought 100 families filters that will produce clean water for 5 years. Perhaps you sacrificed your hair like Kevin Fricker and Kevin Machado, or perhaps you sacrificed your date night with your spouse, whatever the sacrifice, the result has been hundreds of people with clean water. I know that God sees their need and hears their prayers.
Isaiah 17"The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the LORD, will answer them Myself, As the God of Israel I will not forsake them.
25"I have aroused one from the north, and he has come; from the rising of the sun he will call on my name; and he will come upon rulers as upon mortar, Even as the potter treads clay."
Thank you for your response to this prayer. It is truly the heart of God to bring healing to the suffering of the earth. FilterPure will continue to work in Haiti. We have distributed more than 3000 filters in Haiti in response to the earthquake due to the support of people like yourselves. We have built a factory that will soon be producing filters also to meet the high demand. We have Canadians involved in bringing advancement to our production and distribution. It is an honor for me so see the hand of God working through your church and I am blessed to be a part of your body.
Blessings, Lisa Ballantine (Director FitlerPure)
06.15.2010
Kayla Vezeau:
I recently came back from Thailand, May 5th. I am currently a student at Vanguard College and am now entering my last year at college. Missions has been on my heart for a number of years now. Well, I was at the time a third year missions student at college and was required to do an internship of my choice. I ended up doing a 4 month internship in Thailand working with children, Northern Thailand teaching English (while living at the children's home/orphanage). I had many opportunities to experience many different things while being there. I was up north for 6 weeks and then traveled to Bangkok to work with a ministry called "NightLight". NightLight is a Christian business that makes jewelery which is sold worldwide. They minister to women in prostitution. Volunteers at NightLight go into the bars each week and build relationships with the women. They share about NightLight and give them an opportunity to call and apply for a job if they like. I also had an opportunity to go to India for four days to a pastors conference. It really was more of a cultural experience. I did have the opportunity to do a little bit of kids program, teaching them songs and games. This experience really gave me a broader view of the world and God's heart for his people. It wasn't always easy living in Thailand as there were cultural differences, language barriers and other stresses that came. Well, I was living in Thailand for almost 3 months when my visa was about to expire, so I did a visa run to Cambodia. I had to do two visa runs as they were only good for 15days by land. As I boarded the bus ready to go to Cambodia, an older man sat right beside me. We did not talk the way there but did end up talking the way back to Thailand. He asked me questions about what I was doing there and such. Anyways, I shared with him that I was a missionary attending bible college in Canada and had the opportunity to share about NightLight. He asked me lots of questions about NightLight and later about God. We ended up having a 3 hour conversation on the bus ride back. He asked me how I felt when I saw them there, and I responded that I was angry. I said that I began to later understand that the men are trying to fill a hole that only God can fill. I shared about how prostitution hurts not only the women but the men as well and how we are not condemning of them, rather we pray for them as well. He became very open with me and shared about how he went into a beer bar near the prostution zone just to have a drink and watch the girls dance on stage. He asked me if that was a sin and I said it was. I felt so bold in my faith during this time and was surprised that he didn't close down from asking me more questions, especially ones about God. I don't know how this man is doing or if he has excepted Christ, but I guess I believe that a seed was planted and that one day he will find God. Even on a visa run God opens up doors for ministry, so never underestimate how God might use you. This is my story.
06.10.2010
Greg Noel:
YC 2010~All I can say is AUDACIOUS! We brought a group of 15 to bask in an atmosphere of bands, speakers, and 16,000 young people hungry for God to see a change in their hearts, city, schools and nation. It was unreal! There is nothing like hearing 16,000 young people worshiping God..passing a Canadian flag around Rexall taking a stand with God for their lives and country.
Every single one of us from our group were changed. One of our group walked in Friday night on crutches from an accident. She was completely healed in God's presence Saturday night and was running down the hallways. It was energizing to watch her excitement as she made her way around the complex all day Sunday free of her crutches.
The speakers really challenged our group to take our "masks" off, understand who God says we are rather than our friends, and step into the plans, purpose and destiny He designed us for. The topics of the workshops were set up like a spiritual buffet to enjoy what ever kind of "food" you needed. The bands, no matter what style you liked, focused on sending inspiring messages to challenge you people to have a deeper relationship with Him.
The weekend was LIFE CHANGING! Our group not only formed new, lasting friendships, but was inspired to go all out for God and fulfill His plan for our lives.
04.20.2010
Jared Robinson:
"Our living group meets on a bi-weekly basis in what has come to be called the "Koinonia House." Our meetings consist of sharing in communion, a potluckdinner, Scripture study, and sharing in the stories of one another's lives, and praying for one another. When we are not meeting bi-weekly, we strive to interact with, and encourage, one another in all aspects of life including, but not limited to work, marriage, school, and raising children. In all of these areas, we strive to reflect the life-together that Jesus and his disciples exemplified in the Gospels. Currently, much of our common life revolves aroundloving one another and experimenting with what it means to love our neighbors.
In one of our current attempts to love our neighbors, we are beginning to hold pancake breakfasts for our block, in hopes to build relationships with others, share life a little closer, and lessen the gap between our fences."
RESPONSE: (05.10.10)
Pretty much, our whole block came! it was awesome! comments surfaced such as "This hasn't happened since the 50's" and "Our block is coming alive!" and "I may pick your brains on how to build community to help the elderly get more connected" God is Good.