Feb 19 | Ruth 1:1-5 | Intro to Ruth
Feb 26 | Ruth 1:6-22 | Gospel Suffering & Salvation
Mar 4 | Ruth 2:1-13 | Gospel Providence
Mar 11 | Ruth 2:14-23 | Gospel Hope
Mar 18 | Ruth 3:1-18 | Gospel Risks & Rest
Mar 25 | Ruth 4:1-12 | Gospel Redemption
Apr 1 | Ruth 4:13-22 | Gospel Blessing

NEXT ARTS IN THE CITY:  SATURDAY, FEB 18

Thanks to all the artists who've participated in the previous Arts in the City series.   What beautiful evenings of visual art, spoken word, & song.   Special thanks to the Reality Community Group that adopted this expression - pouring countless hours into making it wonderful for all.   Well done. 

For details & media from past Arts in the City nights, or for 2012 series dates, click HERE

An evening of song, scripture & prayer.
7pm @ SOMA map

drink from the well that never runs dry

Stops include: 
- Mars Hill Church where the serve up the Good News of Jesus loud enough for men to hear & kind enough to make 'em cry
- Gordito's 'healthy mexican' where they serve burrito's the size of small children
It's the Gospel - Gordito's & some Guadalupe (or Ginger Ale) - what's not to like?

EMAIL pastor Kris to reserve your spot on the bus.

Date | Friday, February 24
Time | 6:30pm
Where | SOMA
Cost | free indeed.  Will include popcorn.

Feature Presentation:  The Shawshank Redemption
Details HERE

The purpose of this course is to facilitate a respectful discussion of different worldviews, spirituality and particularly the Christian faith in our culture. As a Christian community we are committed to loving our city and our neighbours. To many people in Vancouver the Christian faith does not make sense or is considered intolerant and narrow-minded. In this context, to love, means to share our faith with those who are interested and to listen to those who are skeptical or have been offended. It is our hope that at the end of the 12 weeks anyone who attends the course will hold their own position with greater clarity and humility and that there will be an understanding, sympathy and respect for differing views that did not exist before.

For the schedule, topics and further information click HERE

MEDIA TEAM MISSION     THAILAND - PHILIPPINES

Joshua Dool & Joshua Redmond are back from their media mission trip - and are in the process of editing mountains of raw video to tell the story of the Gospel through brokeness & beauty.  Please be praying for this work - for physicial, spiritual safety - for the Spirit to move in power & grace - and for the Gospel to make all things new.
Watch for a film screening night of their project(s) soon.

Check out their most-recent trailer HERE

Check out their Mission Journal featuring stories from the field HERE

Reality's latest resource booklet is now available.
Kickin' it OLD SCHOOL focuses on the Gospel story through the Old Testament in general, and the books of Judges - Ruth in particular.  Included are thoughts on how to see Jesus through old testament narrative, an overview of each of the Bible's major genres, the purpose & context of the barbaric war scenes, Judges in art & culture, the redemptive history of God's people, and the HERO of the story.  The appendix includes key memory verses and some ideas for family devotions for parents.  

Pick up your copy at the Connect Ctr any Sunday or from SOMA mid-week.  FREE if you'll read it.  Recycle by giving to a skeptical friend and then see where the conversation goes.
We offer this work to the friends & family of Reality Vancouver church, and to our Lord for His glory.

s.d.g.

FOUNDATIONS 2 | Mission & Members | Feb 12
  covers the following topics:
- the missional church
- Gospel Fluency as missionary story-tellers
- Biblical stewardship
- Covenant & Community
- geared for all regular attenders & members, as well as any interested in Reality's history, mission, vision, values & ministry philosophy.
- M & M class is required for any considering becoming a member of the Reality Vancouver covenant community.

Mission & Members  is a follow up to Gospel Foundations

It's truly Old School - and includes the brutal stories of Samson, Gideon, & Barak - the beautiful stories of Deborah, Jael, Ruth & Naomi - and the great redemptive hero of The Story, Jesus.  Despite the violence, there is grace in abundance & a beautiful picture of God's redemptive work throughout history. 

Click HERE for sermon MP3's of this seris, and the introductory video for Judges.

For more about the space, its use & upcoming events hosted by the Reality Vancouver community, go HERE
Site includes a video of Luke Hunter & Moreh-Art designing & creating the floor & wall-murals at the SOMA | Underground, creative space & office for Reality Vancouver Church in east Vancouver | BC | Canada

Contact the artist, Luke Hunter, at Moreh Art

Check out THIS ARTICLE on the loose-connection between Santa, Kringle & Christ. 
Christmas 101

Donations accepted at SOMA & on Sundays @ Dickens School.
Details HERE

On Sunday, Dec 4th, the servants of Reality (that'd be all volunteers & staff - just under 80 of us) gathered to celebrate Jesus and the evidences of His grace in our city.  
A great time was had by all - and the view over False Creek & downtown was breathtaking. 

Highlights included a spontaneous rendition of Delilah with a German accent, a pinata candy-cane & some ridiculously yummy candy-canes.   What a joy it is to serve as the church for the glory of God. 

Since our God throws the best parties (think: Jesus at the wedding) - Reality likewise - loves to celebrate.   

OUR MOST RECENT BAPTISM PARTY AT REALITY WAS HELD NOVEMBER 27 - KITS BEACH.  Next one is scheduled for some time during Spring 2012.
Baptism resources are available HERE. 
Talk to pastor Kris if you're prayerfully considering taking the plunge.  Email HERE

Stories from the winter 2011 baptism will be posted soon.  

Stories from Reality's summer baptism parties are online.  
Check out the Gospel goodness HERE.

On Sunday, Nov 13, Reality called all covenant members & regular attenders to a time of prayer & fasting for the gospel, for our neighbours & for our city.

When asked how healthy the church is, some tend to measure numbers (noses & nickels) on sundays.  My preference is to measure Baptisms & Prayer participation.  
- Sunday morning attendance reflects the popularity of the preacher & musicians.  
- Mid-week Community Group attendance reflects the popularity of friends/leaders/hosts andour shared mission. 
- But Prayer gatherings reflect how popular Jesus is. 

Prayer - especially when combined with fasting - is work.  Hard work.  Good work.  Great work.  Maybe the greatest work.   It's certainly a requirement for any real Gospel change in our own hearts - and in the hearts of our neighbours. 
What a joy to see nearly 70 reality peeps show up to pray - to raise their voices & hands in song - and ask our great Saviour to do His work in our midst.  

Thanks for reflecting the popularity of Jesus.  Keep your prayers going - especially for our local mission - our unity on mission - community groups - and those serving Jesus overseas.  

Jesus is Reality.

For more opportunities to pray, and for an overview of Reality's appreciation & practice of prayer, go HERE

Every church community, from the steepled to the hip-shabby to the missional was, at one point, a church plant. 
A few factors are common - the centrality of the Gospel -  tension between the church & culture - the dependance on the Holy Spirit - the Missio Dei - and God's call upon a dudely man to lead. 
Some are unique - time, space, style, philosophy of ministry. 

For 2010-2011 Reality has been blessed with Dennis & Mistin Wilkinson & their wonderful family, as apprentices.  They have served with passion & with Gospel clarity - and have been called to establish a Gospel, missional community in Vancouver's west-end (probably the least-reached part of the least-reached city in North America).  It's an incredibly dense, incredibly diverse & incredibly gospel-resistant community.  Perfect for the Wilkinsons & the grace of God. 

This Fall, Dennis will be transitioning to Full Time pastor of the West End Church plant.

Please click HERE for more on this Gospel adventure, contact info & video updates for the Wilkinson's, and ways to get involved in the mission. 

If you're not already on the Wilkinson mailing list for prayer updates - they can be contacted at the following:
denmistinw@gmail.com

And for a perspective on why Halloween increasingly fills our culture's faith vacuum, head over HERE.

Friday mornings:  9:30 - 11:30am
SOMA

Continuing our series through the Women of the Bible. 
Missional focus on sharing meals & gospel love in our neighbourhood.
More HERE

This fall the men of Fight Club are working their way through Hebrews. 

Join us. 

7am Thurday mornings
SOMA

Details HERE.

And yes - we will be brewing strong coffee.  

Party in the Park, held at Guelph Park near SOMA, brought together those living in (literally) and around the Guelph Park / Mt Pleasant community every Tuesday through July & August 2011.    Highlights included some pretty wild Ultimate Frisbee games, some pretty sketchy volleyball, some South American disc-throwing game (Tejon?), and some inspired poetry/story-telling from Miss Mary.  

We concluded our summer Tuesday party's with an outdoor movie night featuring the classic 'the Princess Bride'.  

A couple hundred people showed up with blankets & lawnchairs to enjoy this great story under the stars.  Surprising elements of the evening included some live music accompanied by iPhone keyboard (tks JR), endless popcorn (tks JB) some startling  'shadow dancing' (tks JD), and the amazing Mr. Ed in a parachute.   Thanks, team, for serving our community so well.   Looking forward to next summer & taking this goodness indoors through the upcoming monsoon season. 
Grace + peace.  Jesus is Reality.

For DETAILS on any of the following adventures - go HERE

July 31 | Capilano Canyon day-hike, North Vancouver

August | Garibaldi Park day-hike, Garibaldi / Black Tusk

September | Anvil Island day-hike, Anvil Island - Howe Sound

If interested in any of these hikes, or to sign up for the hiking list - reply to: rec@realityvancouver.com

Watch for details on facebook.

Our team fell just short with a bad-bounce goal in the final minutes of regulation, against a spirited squad from Langley EV.   Final score:  2-1 for our opponent.   Reality put every effort into the match - so much so that 2 members showed up at our sunday gathering in crutches the next morning.   Gotta love the effort.

For our inaugural year in the league, to come in 2nd overall, Team Manager Shawn Wilson couldn't be more pleased.  

Well done, footballers - and praise Jesus for the opportunity to enjoy some comraderie & sportsmanship - and worship while we engage in 'the beautiful game'.  

Watch for season 2 | April - July 2012.  

After this Wednesdays mayham on the streets of downtown, Reality's 'fight club' (mens bible study) spent some time Thursday morning serving as part of the restoration. 
We were able to serve in small ways - loading up a landscaping trailer with broken glass, burnt manequins from storefronts & offering encouragement to those we saw.  We joined a small army of other volunteers in the restoration work.  It was beautiful, but odd.

Senseless anarchist-motivated property destruction on one side - swarms of onlookers gawking with their iphones - TV crews & city workers eager to show Vancouver's positive side - set amidst a population clinging to the hope that 'we're better than this'. 

Are we?  Really? 

An interesting development was the impromptu 'wall of repentance' that sprang up on some plywood covering up broken storefront windows.   There was genuine remorse, frustration, and heaps of comments seeking to assuage our global humiliation.   
  'We don't deserve this'
  'These weren't Canuck fans'
  'This doesn't reflect the people who live here'
And the healing begins.  As the city-idolatry continues.

I, too, love this city.  I love my neighbours.  I love Jesus, and I love the time & place he's called us to work out the Gospel.  Which is why I'm not surprised at all by what happened Wednesday night (on & off the ice) nor on the streets Thursday morning. 
We're more broken than we tend to realize - there's more pent-up frustration than we dare imagine - and when temptation gives rise to opportunity it occasionally erupts in mayhem.  While it may be interpreted as our obvious need for a Saviour, our usual response is to work extra hard in an attempt to save ourselves. 
But as great as our collective clean up was - and it was - it's not as easy to squeegy away the reality that thousands of our neighbours destroyed, documented, gawked & cheered as if the downtown business district was a set from Lord of the Flies.   Sin happens.  Sin happened.  And in a moment of pre-meditated & spontaneous chaos, we showed true colours.  What we're capable of outside the law & in the 'freedom' of perceived anonymity.  The culture interprets this as partial anarchy, the Gospel calls it total depravity. 
Vancouver - we do need a Saviour.  One to make sense of our mess, our condition, our past-present & future. And One to bring a total & lasting restoration to all things. 

May this week's craziness give rise to opportunities for gospel conversations and a Gospel response to those wresting with eternal questions. 
Soli Deo Gloria.

It’s all about Jesus.  He's the hero of OUR story & THE story. 
Thank you for following him faithfully, Reality.

Paintball for pacifists (& their not-so-pacifist friends)

When | Saturday morning, March 26 @ 9:30am. 
Where | North Shore Paintball (north van)

Sign up on Facebook HERE or email Josh HERE.

Effective immediately our new church motto will be as follows:

Reality Vancouver
Exending the right arm of fellowship since 2009

- anybody want to get started on the T-shirt design - submit your entries.

The drop.

SOMA | Underground
Sunday, April 17, 7pm
No charge. 
All invited.

HERE for more.

Those who made it experienced a special morning of prayer & sharing & interaction.   The room was decorated from saturday's Arts in the City event so inspiration was everywhere. 

Text preached was Acts 16 - the surprise & sovereignty of the Spirit of Jesus.

Many thanks to those who got the word out (txt, email, facebook, twitter) and who adjusted schedule & expectations to enable this morning to happen.   You are all a joy to serve with. 

Thank you!

pastor Kris

Creative coffeehouse & open mic @ SOMA.

Saturday, Feb 26
7pm

For details & media, click HERE

GOSPEL FOUNDATIONS
Sundays | Mar 20 & 27 | 7-8:30pm | SOMA

MISSION & MEMBERS
Sundays | Apr 3 | 7-9:00pm | SOMA

- God (trinity)
- Scripture
- Creation - Sin - Image
- Salvation

Mission & Members covers the following topics:

- the missional church
- Biblical stewardship
- Covenant & Community

Mission & Members  is a follow up to Gospel Foundations. 

For our archive of recent sermons, follow the link [HERE].

ft. How to Train Your Dragon

Stay tuned for upcoming films to be enjoyed, reviewed & redeemed.
Details HERE

Details:
12 game season running between April & June 2011.  Playoffs are the 1st week of July. 

Cost:
$75 - which will include your jersey, registration, officiating & team equipment.   You'll need to supply turf soccer boots, shin pads, etc. 
Travel will be expeted - most games should be west of the Port Mann Bridge.   Carpools will be worked out.

Home field will be somewhere in Burnaby. 

Please contact Reality's Football coordinator & Team Manager, Shawn Wilson, for more details.
email Shawn, HERE.

For more info on Reality Home Groups, or to see which groups are available this Winter, go HERE.

Reality Chick Night this Saturday!

Where & When | SOMA @ 6pm
What | Dinner & a great chick flick
Who | the Ladies of Reality & their friends / daughters - all welcome!

To Bring | yourself, a friend & a plate of yummy goodness to share | dinner is potluck-style
Dessert is provided so keep it  to salad / appy's / main's

Email Susie to RSVP if you haven't already signed up

For more on the space, it's use & missional activity, go HERE.

Video of Luke Hunter & Moreh-Art designing & creating the floor & wall-murals at the SOMA | Underground, creative space & office for Reality Vancouver Church in east Vancouver | BC | Canada

Contact the artist, Luke Hunter, at Moreh Art

For more about the space & upcoming events hosted by the Reality Vancouver community, go HERE.

Photojournal from the December 12th 'polar bear'  baptisms held at Kits Beach are HERE. What a great party - and a beautiful afternoon to celebrate New Life in Christ.
To hear their stories, mosey on over HERE.

For more on Baptism at Reality, check out the Baptism resources page - which includes the theology & practice of baptism, testimony guides, etc.   As a portable church, we have no special tank and prefer to do this deal out in God's creation (cold water & all). 

If you're interested in more information, or on being baptized at Reality -  email questions/details to:  info@realityvancouver.com

Click HERE for more info & for a guide to writing your 'story'.

NEXT BAPTISM WILL BE SCHEDULED SOMETIME IN SPRING / NEAR EASTER.

Untitled from Kristian Martens on Vimeo.

A special evening it twas - December 24th in the Dickens auditorium - celebrating the wonder, joy, peace & merry of Christmas.  The evening featured songs & stories - traditional, modern & eclectic. 

Special thanks to our friends from 19th Avenue Fellowship & Vancouver 1st Church of the Nazarene (our neighbours across Kingsway - who joined us this night).

Check out the kids song below.  Squeaky shoes & all...  And yes, that was a tamborine you heard...only at Christmas.

For a light-hearted take on the Christmas season exploring the barely-discernable link between St. Nicholas - flying reindeer - and Jesus, click HERE.

1.  What are the barriers to peace?
2.  What brings you peace? 

Video shown during our Advent Exchange series, Dec 19th.   Sermon HERE.

Asking the questions:
1. What are the barriers to peace?
2. What brings you peace?

interviewed neighbours across Vancouver's eastside, from South Main to Gastown to the downtown eastside.
reality church | vancouver

And for an article on the barely discernable link between St. Nick - Mistletoe & Jesus, go HERE.

Collecting nonperishable food items & new toys for local underprivileged kids. 
Reality's eastside home at SOMA was a drop station for this event - supporting the Union Gospel Mission. .

Deadline is passed but we'll continue collecting food & toys to be dropped off at UGM through December. 

To check out pictures from the Help-Portrait event held Saturday, Dec 4, click HERE (Vancouver Sun article)

For a map with directions to SOMA, go HERE.
Address:  2468 Scotia St | Vancouver | BC

Thanks for your generosity!

Photo's from the evening are found HERE.

Make it more than a day.  Make it part of your regular prayers - for Jesus' kingdom to come & His will to be done in all the earth.
For resources & information on the reality of Christian persecution world-wide, go HERE.

Led by Justin 'Juice' Mason, Joshua Dool & a crew from our communities - the group will be for students in grades 7-12.

The Skinny:
Who | students in grades 7-12
When | Friday nights
Where | SOMA underground
Time
  6pm - snacks & hang-time, resources
  7pm - music, storytelling, Gospel goodness

More details HERE.
For more, please contact Justin Mason.

Co-sponsored by Reality Vancouver church & More Than 12.

Check out the amazing stories of being lost, then found by Jesus.   HERE
Baptism Storytellers
June 2010 | Kitsilano Beach

For a slideshow from the day @ Kits Beach, check out the gallery HERE.

Great discussion ensued on the worldview of the movie - and what to Receive, Reject & Redeem. 

Watch for more Film & Theoogy nights in the months to come. 

more details HERE

For details on the Dance Barn Studio, click HERE.

For schedule & registration in Vancouver, click HERE.

A team from Reality served in an orphanage near Roman, Bulgaria this August.  They returned home on Aug 23rd - filled with stories of Grace & hope
TO FOLLOW ALONG, CHECK OUT THEIR LIVE JOURNAL PAGE.

A wrap up session filled with stories, songs, pictures & answered prayer was held in late August

30'ish kids experienced ridiculous amounts of fun, including a group of Middle School teens on our Urban Plunge.  Awesomeness.  Pics and the highlight video are now online HERE.

For more info, please email us @ kids@realityvancouver.com

SWEATSHIPS | unveiling the secrets below deck

OPEN HOUSE | June 12 | 6:30-9pm

OPEN HOURS | June 12 - 22 | 1-3pm | Mon-Tue-Thu-Fri

LOCATION | SOMA

More details below

servantsASIA

Facebook:  HERE

But in Vancouver - we've added to the joy of the day.

June 20, 2010 is CAR FREE VANCOUVER DAY!

For details, check out HERE.

Car Free day will be rockin' the eastside - both on Commercial Drive & on Main. 
Join YWAM at the 'healing garden' on The Drive to pray with folks.    If interested, email Jacquie @ YWAM.

Bring a frisbee, if you have one, or a soccer ball. We can get two games going if we have enough people.  It's at 2 so that we can have time to get food before.  If you don't know how to play frisbee that's okay, we will teach you.  Or you can hang out at the beach and visit! 

Directions:
Kitsalano Beach is on the corner of Cornwall and Arbutus. You can google it for directions. When you get there you will see the beach, some tennis courts, and a smaller cafe, with a playground south of it.

We will meet on the grassy area by the playground.

If you are around, it would be awesome to see you!

For details & to stay in the loop on upcoming Breakfast's - check out their home page:
thebreakfastofhope.com

Feature presentation:  UP (pixar - 2009)

Date:  June 11 (friday night)
Time:   6:30pm discussion & popcorn starts. 
           6:45 movie starts
           8:30 brief discussion
What:  free admission & popcorn.
Who:  All ages.  No childcare - but kids room will be available for young'uns.

Note: There will be a brief discussion before & afterwards on some of the big themes & dynamics of the film.    Particular attention will be given to discerning which ideas should be received, redeemed, or rejected.

For more on Film & Theology...

GOSPEL FOUNDATIONS considers God | Creation | Sin | Image-Identity | Salvation.
Class ran Sunday nights, April 18 & 25.   Material is available for study in the context of mentoring.   Another Foundations Class will be offered later this summer. 

MISSION & MEMBERS considers the missional community | stewardship | covenant | community & Spiritual Gifts.  It's also a good class to take before baptism, which is scheduled for Sunday afternoon, May 30.
Mission & Members Class ran Sunday night, May 16, 7pm @ SOMA.  Another class will be offered in Fall.

Check out more DETAILS and get hooked up with this Theo-goodness.

Available HERE.

The 2010 budget was presented & passed unanimously by the members present.
Covenant Members have access to any of our financial statements - if there are follow up questions. 

Thanks to the dedicated admin / accounting team who do such an amazing job of maintaining the integrity of our financial data - keeping it above reproach.   Ken, Don & Ed - well done!

When:  May 15 @ 10am
Where:  Meet @ the Nazarene Church (Kingsway & Windsor)
Picker-uppers, garbage bags, & gloves provided by the city of Vancouver. 
Collection Areas: 
  Along Kingsway from Carolina to Dumfries
  Around the Charles Dickens School
  Along Fraser from Kingsway to King Edward
  Along King Edward to Knight.

Many thanks to the fine community leaders & volunteers who coordinate this each year, especially the amazing Theresa & Harvey. 

Sunday, May 23rd.
Depart at 2pm from SOMA
Dinner in north Seattle @ Gordito's (ultimate burrito's)
Worship @ the 7:15pm gathering of Mars HIll Church (Ballard) with Pastor Mark Driscoll (teaching Luke 7:36-8:3)
Debrief @ Hale's Ales
Home around midnight.

Sign up on Sunday morning or email pastor Kris, if you haven't already.  If we need 2 vehcicles, we'll get on it. 
Otherwise, 7 or 8 is where the truck maxes out....

The Reality community gathers in groups large & small throughout the week.  During the warmer months, our smaller groups have met less formally - at BBQ's, at the beach, at the coffeehouse - wherever.  But starting mid-September & mid-January, these smaller groups gather weekly for prayer, bible study, service and a level of community not possible on Sunday mornings.

We call our missional community groups Home Groups (or 'home churches'), as that's what they truly are...a gathering of the church community in homes.  As with Sunday mornings, Home Groups are open to Christians, seekers, and skeptics - and are a great place to invite friends who might prefer a smaller group for discussion, prayer, Bible study & relationship.  

We have 2 Home Group semesters:  Sept-Dec & Jan-May, but groups are always open to newcomers throughout each season.  So - no excuses - get in the game.

If you're looking to get hooked up in a Reality Home Group, let us know at:  connect@realityvancouver.com

For more on Home Church & Missional Community groups - click HERE.

Details for our Good Friday EVENING gathering & Easter Sunday MORNING gathering can be found HERE.

MP3 of Easter Sunday sermon can be found HERE.

For more on Saturday's community easter egg hunt & family carnival, click HERE or on the picture below.

Fall 2009 sermon series [nov 8 - Dec 6]

Download sermon notes & audio HERE

Week 1  Nov 8          Gospel Sexuality
Week 2  Nov 15        Sex in the City [it's business time]
Week 3  Nov 22        Gospel Manhood
Week 4  Nov 29        Gospel Womanhood
Week 5  Dec 6          Gospel Dating & Marriage

Details:
Friday, March 12
6-9pm
Westside Church @ Granville Island
Pre-register to reserve a seat
FOR DETAILS, A MAP & TO REGISTER, click HERE

To contribute financially, please consider the following worthy aid organizations: 

MCC

World Vision Canada

Churches Helping Churches

Christmas sermon content available HERE.

And for an article on the barely discernable link between St. Nick - Mistletoe & Jesus, go HERE.

Advent Conspiracy link HERE.  Christmas can [still] change the world.  Give Presence.

Last film reviewed:  JUNO.  Sunday, Nov 22 from 7-10pm

Stay tuned for more in 2010.

For more opportunities to shine a Gospel light on culture, check out our CULTURE page.

Men's Training weekend / retreat is fast approaching. 
Main speaker is our own, Mark Burch.  Should be a good time in the mountains together. 

DATE:  Feb 12th - 14th   
(yes - we'll have the Olympic opening ceremonies on the tube for those interested.  And YES - you'll be home in time to take your wife out for Valentine's dinner.)

COST:  $173.25 (all in)
For registration & details, check out:  STILLWOOD CONFERENCE CENTRE
or call:  604.858.6845

Highlights include:
BIBLE study
Music with Kevin Boese
Brazilian Jujitsu seminar
Climbing wall, Zip Line & High Ropes
Hot Tub
Floor hockey & basketball
Mtn Biking (bring your own)
Slingshot Paintball
Build your own potato cannon
and of course,  great Stillwood man-food.

Register by Feb 1st for best price.

Click here for sermon audio, notes, & study questions.

Drop off date is this Saturday,  Nov 21.

Nov 20-21
All Hand-Made Craft Sale - at Grandview Church (1st & Salsbury, near Commercial).  Support JustWork, JustPotters & the ridiculously cool creative community on the Drive. 
Organic, hand-made goodness

Nov 27
Advent Pageant @ Kingsgate Mall - 1pm
A community Christmas event where kids are the stars.  

Amazing time of prayer over our city - our community - our neighbours - our families - our friends.  Thanks to those wh made it out. 

Purpose of these prayer nights:

           to praise our great God & Saviour - Jesus - as a corporate body, through song & prayer. 
           to thank Him for His great work through 2009,
                  and for the ways He's worked through us to share His Gospel & extend His kingdom
           to lift up the needs of our community
           to pray for our eastside neighbours & neighbourhoods, our city, its leaders, and the Olympics
           to pray for opportunities to effectively serve our city - working for its peace
           to pray for the nations and the Gospel's work through missionaries & churches worldwide
           to pray for clear direction as Reality seeks a more permanent presence on the eastside 

Please continue praying - for the Spirit to move powerfully in our midst - through His Word and in our hearts.  May Jesus' kingdom come & will be done.

Download prayer & fasting guide HERE

sdg

Check out our Gospel & Culture blog to read about a real & present danger to our society.

Details at:  More Than Gold

For photojournal, click HERE.
For details on the week, click HERE.

Click HERE for details.

After a long journey with cancer, Rachel Barkey passed into the arms of Jesus last week.  Memorial service is Wednesday, July 8.  1pm @ St. John's Shaughnessy. 
Please take some time to listen/watch Rachel's story at:  www.deathisnotdying.com

Audio / MP3 of Rachel's story as shared at the River Rock Show Theatre on March 4, 2009 is available HERE.
Rachel graduated high school with Kris from the MEI in Abbotsford. 
She was woman of God, a wife, a mother and an image-bearer of Jesus to her world. 
Please continue to pray for the Barkey family during this season of the journey.
soli Deo gloria

Thursday, August 20
5:30 pm Family BBQ
6:30 pm Parenting Workshop & concurrent Kids Movie Night

Signup & Details HERE. 

A great way to connect with new friends and enjoy some home cookin' under the sun!

Have a listen at the stand-alone sermons page, or click HERE.

Talk to Bryan Sih for more details.
Email Bryan HERE.

We are reminded regularly as we gaze upon the beautiful-settled mount of dirt, rocks, PVC piping & bricks...that a play field and a playground are yet to be realized.  In fact, it is likely that as we gaze we are standing upon what WAS the beloved playground & fields.  

No matter - all is set to be resolved this month as the playground has been purchased and is ready to be built. 
Only one thing missing.... YOU!  Installers, that is.  That would include anyone who can work a hammer, screwdriver, shovel, tape measure, and allen key - and has a pulse.

It will take a fairly massive volunteer effort to build this contraption of joy & hilarity - and the school needs any willing hands & hearts it can get.  Here are the details:

They're looking for 20-30 people per 4-hr shift:
Dates and Times
Friday June 5; 4:30-8:30pm  shift
Saturday, June 6; 8:00 am -12:30 shift
Saturday, June 6; 12:30-5pm shift

Please email or call the great coordinator's for this effort:   Claudia 862-3507/874-6438 -or- Tammy 873-2503
or email them at claudia@atlantisprograms.com or lainson@telus.net
Thank you.

Show:   Then Comes Spring
When:   June 4th, 5th and 6th, at 7:30pm
Where:  Havana Restaurant Theatre, 1212 Commercial Drive
Tix:   $10  Order in advance at embryostage@gmail.com or online at www.embryostage.blogspot.com.

For more on Lance's music, check out  www.lanceodegard.com.

More about 'Then Comes Spring...' from the playwright, James Simpson:

"I wanted to experiment with the idea of putting sound-bites, quotes and catchphrases from our celebrity, advertising and self-help cultures in the mouth of a homeless man because the irony of that juxtaposition seemed powerful to me... and considering our culture's obsession with wealth and well-being at any cost, along with the rising fear surrounding the 'financial crisis', I was interested in ways of challenging us to re-evaluate the kinds of stories we allow ourselves to be enticed by." 

Over 1500 eggs & some great prizes to give away (including bikes, skateboards, movie tix, & of course - chocolate).  

Click HERE for more pics & highlights.

Through the rest of 2009, Reality Vancouver will be studying through & applying the Gospel according to Luke.  The series is entitled:  The Skeptics Guide to the Gospel - as its author, Luke, was the only non-Jewish auther of the Old Testament - and who, as a physician, wrote a detailed account of Jesus' life - teaching - death - resurrection. 

As we follow the Jesus story as presented in Luke, we'll divide our study into 7 scenes.  Scene I:  RESISTANCE includes the events surrounding Jesus' birth & presentation to the world,  the life of his cousin - John (the baptizer), and the launch of Jesus' public ministry.

Home Church questions will accompany each sermon - and we're working on a family study guide for parents & children.

April 5 - Expectation

April 12 - Reality

Drugs aren't cool.  They make you stupid.  They wreck your life. They hurt those you love.  Say no.  

Check this out if you're considering the temporary happiness of drugs...don't believe the lies.  If a friend offers you drugs, they're not your friend.  

featuring:  Brian 'HEAD' Welch (formerly of KORN) 

www.iamsecond.com

HERE I AM, LORD...SEND ME.

Over 65 community members showed up & enjoyed some amazing popcorn while viewing Disney/Pixar's WALL-E on the big-screen.  Although at times the screen appeared to be projecting toddler shadow-dancing...most of the movie was seen & appreciated.  We'll make sure to change the placement of the projector for the next go at it.  
Many thanks to the small army of volunteers who made this event great for all ages. 

Althought it snowed much of the day - the team made the summit & returned with great memories & sore legs.   Good times.

Not all the answers are clean & easy - but they will inform your mind - engage your heart - and challenge your will... if you let them. 

Week 1:    Suffering & Pain:  Why is there so much evil in the world?
Week 2:    Inclusive Exclusivity:  How can Christians believe there is only one true faith and one way?
Week 3:    Injustice:  Doesn't faith increase the oppression of minorities, the weak & the poor?
Week 4:    What the Hell:   Is God some sort of angry judge - and why does the devil wear red stretchy pants?

skeptics welcome. 

For pics of the community cleanup crew - click HERE.

More than launching a gathering of Jesus-freaks - Feb 15th was when we launched people into the community.  To work - serve - pray - love - for the glory of God and the good of the city. 

Pic's can be found HERE.

After months of searching, praying & community/culture research, God has opened the door for us to gather & worship at a ridiculously cool school on Vancouver's Eastside. 

Charles Dickens Elementary is the newest school  in the city - and is strategically located on a funky East Van neighbourhood between Main Street & Commercial Drive.   GoogleMap the address:  (E 17th & Windsor). 

Reality will rent the multi-purpose room for their RealityKids team - and the teens & adults will gather in the gymnasium / auditorium for worship & the Word.   Should be a good time. 

More details to come in late January.  Stay tuned, mark your calendars & pray hard - that Reality would be a blessing to the school and a bringer of peace & Jesus-presence in our community.  

But does this snow need to be a deterrent to the Gospel?  Of course not!  Sure - we're snowed in for a few days.  The Christmas Eve service is cancelled.   But don't let that stop you from celebrating the birth of our Lord, King & Prince of Peace.   Get your family & friends together, sing some carols, play some games, drink some nog & celebrate.  Or better yet - invite your snowed-in neighbours over for some cocoa.  You know....the ones who you thought about inviting to 'church' but haven't gotten around to it yet...those ones.  This weather's a great excuse to get to know them - and for them to see the Grace & Peace of our faith in your life.  

So - while there are many deterrents to the Gospel's expansion in our city, snow definitely isn't among them.  

 Let it snow, let it snow, let it rain...and take time to proclaim Joy to the World...the Lord is come.  

awesomeness.

adventconspiracy.org

One of the more fascinating aspects of the modern ‘Christmas story’ is the fame of a generous 3rd century pastor named Nicholas.   

The story of Saint Nicholas
The larger-than-life myths surrounding Santa Claus actually emanate from the very real person of Saint Nicholas. It is difficult to know the exact details of his life with certainty as the ancient records are sparse, but pieces can be put together as a mosaic of his life.
Nicholas was born in the third century in Patara, a village in what is now Turkey. He was born into an affluent family, but his parents died tragically when he was quite young. His parents had raised him to be a devout Christian, which led him to spend his great inheritance on helping the poor, especially children. He was known to frequently give gifts to children, sometimes even hanging socks filled with treats and gifts. Perhaps his most famous act of kindness was helping three sisters. Because their family was too poor to pay for their wedding dowry, three young Christian women were facing a life of prostitution until Nicholas paid their dowry, thereby saving them from a horrible life of slavery.

Nicholas grew to be a well-loved Christian leader and was eventually voted the Bishop of Myra, a port city that the apostle Paul had previously visited (Acts 27:5-6). Nicholas reportedly also traveled to the legendary Council of Nicea, where he helped defend the deity of Jesus Christ in AD 325. Following his death on December 6, 343, he was canonized as a saint. The anniversary of his death became the St. Nicholas holiday when gifts were given in his memory. He remained a very popular saint among Catholic and Orthodox Christians, with some 2,000 churches named after him. The holiday in his honor eventually merged with Christmas as they were celebrated within weeks of one another. During the Reformation, however, Nicholas fell out of favor with Protestants, who did not approve of canonizing certain people as saints and venerating them with holidays. His holiday was not celebrated in any Protestant country except Holland, where his legend as Sinterklass lived on. In Germany, Martin Luther replaced him with the Christ child as the object of holiday celebration, or, in German, Christkindl.  Over time, the celebration of the Christ child was simply pronounced Kriss Kingle and oddly became just another name for Santa Claus (Kriss Kringle).

The legends about Santa Claus are most likely a compilation of other folklore. For example, there was a myth in Nicholas’ day that a demon was entering people’s homes to terrorize children and that Nicholas cast it out of a home. This myth may explain why it was eve]]> Homeless in the city http://www.realityvancouver.com/qry/page.taf?id=30&_function=detail&sbtblct_uid1=16 Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:00:00 PST http://www.realityvancouver.com/qry/page.taf?id=30&_function=detail&sbtblct_uid1=16  

What do

3000 of our neighbours,

Reality Vancouver

& Jesus

have in common?

Homelessness.

Please continue to pray as we seek a space to gather, train, pray, and send out missionaries to our city - somewhere in the Mt. Pleasant neighbourhood of Vancouver.

We keep telling others (& reminding ourselves) - that the church isn't a building (it's the people).  Well - it would seem that Jesus is giving us a great opportunity to put some flesh on those words.  Do we mean it - or does it just sound nice...

Be the church & represent Jesus wherever - however - whenever & with whomever. 

Let's GO!

Thanks for supporting this great gift exchange.  Part of the Advent Conspiracy...

More details on OCC here.

Among the many needs - we'll be asking Jesus to provide a place for us to gather & launch from as we head into the Christmas season.  

At 6pm, we'll then gather at Janet Woods' for a great feast, some music & prayer.  All are invited.  More details to come.

Janet will be coordinating food - so look for her email...

Download PDF for Reality's day of prayer - fasting - feasting below:

Good times. 

It’s the time of year when leaves fall in a glorious kaleidoscope of colour, and trees turn to skeletons. The garden stops providing, except for some large orange gourds.  An evening stroll changes from bright sun and chirping birds to dark night and the howling wind. As Halloween approaches, the fact that we begin to consider death and ghost stories is not inherently pagan…it’s human.  It’s what we do with those thoughts that matters.
In October you’ll invariably find yourself veering from talk of the Canucks and politics, to the perennial issue of Halloween and whether Christians should observe this ‘un-holy-day’.  More to the point, most Christians do observe it, but differ in the level of participation or acceptance of it.  In past decades, some extreme fundamentalist Christians depicted Halloween as a night when ancient Celtic Druids raped and sacrificed virgins, leaving carved pumpkins on the doorsteps of households that gave up their daughters (never mind the fact that pumpkins were a New World plant exported and only grown in Europe recently).  Other Christians offer the opposite but equally naïve defense of “it’s no big deal”, sending their kids out to collect & consume ridiculous amounts of candy - buttressing Canadian child-obesity statistics. 
Halloween has a long and complex history;  following the causal chain linking a pagan harvest festival to toddlers dressed as princesses or pirates, is no simple task.  Christian and secular historians keep finding layers of revisionist history that try to wrap the origins of this holiday up in a nice little bow.  They invariably fail by drawing unevenly - and with great bias - upon fact, fiction & fear.  So, before addressing the Christian’s response to this holiday, let’s look at what little we do know.

Halloween 101
Ancient Celts celebrated a holiday called Samhain (meaning “summer’s end”), where they would extinguish their hearth fires and host large ceremonial bonfires, sacrificing animals and crops. This didn’t occur on October 31 but around the same time, depending on the phases of the moon.  It marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of a season where the people would be dependent on food stores and shelter from the elements.  Superstitious Celts associated winter with death and thought that the season’s transition was marked by the close proximity of spirits; they believed this thin veil would help their Druid priests make prophecies, enabling them to survive the harsh winter. There is an accrued mythology that Druids also wore masks on this night and went from door to door, but historical evidence does not support this theory; it seems more like creative fiction manufactured to explain the evolution of modern customs.  While not a bad educational supplement, something is not history simply because it appeared on History Television.
The name of our present-day holiday, Halloween (or “All Hallows’ Eve”), actually stems from a celebration for saints formed by the early church.  A celebration day for all saints emerged in church history as early as the 4th century, but it was originally set in May or the day following Pentecost (some records suggest this also paved over a similar Roman day of the dead). It was the Germans who initially shifted the custom to November 1st, and whether or not this had to do with the practices of the Irish Celts is questioned by historians to this day.  In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III universally changed the date to mirror the German date in conjunction with the consecration]]> New site is finally live... http://www.realityvancouver.com/qry/page.taf?id=30&_function=detail&sbtblct_uid1=2 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 PST http://www.realityvancouver.com/qry/page.taf?id=30&_function=detail&sbtblct_uid1=2