Next Baptism/Membership
weekend is February 7/8, 2009

Baptism class is Saturday, January 19th, in the Prayer Room at 9am - 12noon.

Membership class is Sunday, January 18th, in the Prayer Room at 10am - 1pm.

Please pick up your application form at the Info Wall, complete and return to the church office.

Or click here to fill out an application form on-line.


Declaring for Christ:
It's a significant decision to make public a decision that we have made privately. We believe that baptism is a sign to the world that we have received God's gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. We've turned from our own way and want to declare that we are giving ourselves totally to going God's way. At SAC we baptize people upon confession of their faith, a personal decision. We use the form of immersion because we believe it best signifies leaving our old life and rising to live our lives following God's way.

"Committing to Community"
Living as a Christ-follower was never designed to be a solo experience. As different parts of a physical body need each other, so we need each other as well. Committing to one particular community of faith gives us the opportunity to be known and know others, to be cared for and care for others, to be served and serve others.

For more information please email the office or phone 604 853 2663.

3D- Disciples Digging Deeper

Sunday a.m.'s - 10:00 0 10:45 a.m.

Starting January 10, 2009

Jesus' Teachings on "The Sermon on the Mount".

One of the greatest challenges to living as Christ lived was Jesus' teaching from the Sermon on the Mount. (Matt. 5-7) It is not a bunch of laws, it is about us living as Jesus lived, authentically in this world.
We want to be eager to move on to "greater things that need to be done in this city" and beyond.

Learning Center (formerly the "ILC")

Winter Session 2009 (January - March)

"Alive to Thrive" (Disciple Foundations)
If you're interested what it means to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ, we'd love to be part of helping you with your faith journey. We'll explore four separate seminars to help you grow, like a tree that sprouts from a little seedling to become a fruit-bearing tree.

Phase 1: "Declare For Christ" (Baptism)
Phase 2: "Committing to Community" (Becoming a member)
Phase 3: "Going Missional" (Agents of God's mission)
Phase 4: "Finding Your Sweet Spot" (wired for service)

Phase 1: "Declare For Christ" (Baptism) - Saturday, Jan. 17: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Perhaps you are ready to say for yourself and to the world that you are a follower of Jesus. We'll explain what it means to be a follower and how you can tell everybody through baptism what it means to trust Jesus for life and for always. Contact Pastor Ed Balzer if you are thinking about being baptized.

We plan our next baptism services for Feb. 7, and 8

Phase 2: "Committing to Community" (Becoming a member) - Sunday Jan. 18: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Followers of Jesus are never meant to be alone - they're designed to live in community with other believers - to be cared for you and to care for others, to be loved and to love others, to be served and to serve others. If you've been baptized, or if you are a devoted Christ follower, we're inviting you to join this particular family here at South Abbotsford.

Committing to the SAC Community will happen on Sat. Feb. 7 or Sun. the 8th.
Planning to join? Contact Pastor Ed Balzer

Phase 3: "Going Missional" (Agents of God's mission) - Sunday, Feb. 15, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

We are to be agents of God's mission in the world. We'll talk about the values that drive our mission; we'll share the objectives that we feel at SAC we're called to fulfill. We'll discover our calling to a needy world.

If you feel called to "mission", contact the Pastors who are involved in "Going Missional:
Contact Pastors: Ed Balzer, Doug Harder, Matt Ewert, Connie Siebert, Graham Schultz

Phase 4: "Finding Your Sweet Spot" (wired for service) - Sunday, Mar. 1, and 8 @ 10:00a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

You'd like to make a difference in the church, your community and the world, but you're not necessarily clear about the "how?" You'll have an opportunity to discover your God-given your passion, your spiritual gifts and your personal style. It's about the right people, in the right places, for the right reason, at Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:41:02 PST http://southabbotsford.com/content.php?id=413 http://southabbotsford.com/content.php?id=378

One of the things that makes our Saturday Service special is sitting together around tables and enjoying a snack and coffee. To make this happen we need your help.

Click here to fill in the sign-up registration to be included in the following schedule: (Scroll down for Set-Up, Take Down and Coffee/Cookie Prep dates that are needed to be filled)

Set-Up at 5:30pm and Take Down

Dec. 27 -

Jan. 3 - Vanessa S.

Jan. 10 -

Jan. 17 -

Jan. 24 -

Coffee and Cookie Prep

Dec. 27 -

Jan. 3 - Vanessa S.

Jan. 10 -

Jan. 17 -

Jan. 24 -

Middle School Youth (sidefx)
Middle School meets Thursday @ 7:00-8:30pm at SAC. Click here for more information.

High School Youth (Epik)
Epik meets throughout the week in small groups. To sign up for a small group click here or if you have any questions contact Pastor Jon. Click here to be directed to EPIK website.

Youth Church Abbotsford
Youth Church is a weekly worship experience for high school students and young adults.
We meet Sunday @ 7:00-9:00pm at SAC.
Click here to be directed to the Youth Church website.

Young Adults (Paraza Age 18-25)
Paraza meets Tuesday @ 7:30-9:30pm at SAC. Click here for more information.

To subscribe to the student ministries' podcast just subscribe to http://paraza.ca/podcast.php in your favourite music player (check out itunes.com if you are looking for one) or check out the Paraza group page on Facebook.

South Abbotsford Church has prayer support always available. If you would like our prayer team to pray for you please click here to fill out a request form.

Child dedications occur on a regular basis throughout the year.

If you desire to have your child(ren) dedicated, please fill out the form below and email it to the office. Please include with your form 2 or 3 possible dates as well as a picture of the child(ren) being dedicated.

Click here to fill out the on-line dedication request form.

Ways to donate to South Abbotsford Church:

Weekly offering during our weekend services by cash or cheques. To ensure your donation receipt please place your donation in the offering envelopes and fill out the front in full.

Through preauthorized giving. This allows you to choose a consistant amount and regular mid or end of the month withdrawal. Forms are available on the Information Wall or the church office.

On-Site Debit machine. We now have a self-use debit machine available in the foyer at the Information Wall during all weekend services.

On-line donations through an organization called Canada Helps. Click this LINK to be re-directed to their website and into the SAC donation area.

Canada Helps, not SAC, issues your receipt for donations using their organization. They charge SAC a 3% transaction fee but you get 100% of the amount you donate as a tax receipt.

The spending of funds is confined to the programs and oversight of South Abbotsford Church. Each gift designated toward a church program will be used as designated. When any given need has been met, or where projects cannot be reasonably carried out, the donor agrees that designated gifts may be used where needed most.

ICCF is a church for the Indo-Canadian Christians in our community. If you desire to reach your Sikh neighbours and friends with the Gospel, there are videos, audiocassette series and reading material available in the Punjabi and Hindustani languages.

Harinder shepherds a dedicated group of Indo-Canadians who meet throughout the week for bible study, prayer and social events. He spends much time visiting families and is working on Punjabi resources.

ICCF meets at South Abbotsford Church every Sunday at 10:30 am with children's Sunday School. Services are in the Punjabi language.

For more information on any of our Indo-Canadian ministries, please email Pastor Harinder Sahota or call 604-853-2663.

South Abbotsford Church is active in missions with many career and short-term mission participants! Praise God! Our church is dedicated to meeting the needs of our career missionaries and to promoting the global mission of the Church. As God leads, we desire to continue to send staff and leadership to connect with our missionaries where they live to show our support and interest in they work that they are doing. This has had a tremendous impact on those who were visited. It is always a blessing to connect when missionaries are here on home service and we continue to do what we can to show care to all those serving in missions - which is a challenge that we can only meet with the support of life groups and individuals in the church.

Short-term missions is also an area we whole-heartedly support. We love to pray for and support these missionaries as well. For those going on Short-term missions (1 year or less), bursary forms are available at the Info Booth. Please let the office know if you are heading off on a mission's trip so we can add you to our prayer list.

In Christ,

The Missions Committee
Norm and Lori Nickel, John and Christy Best, Mel and Monika Dick and Doug and Lynn Harder