progress...

Pretty cool thing happened last week.

The Church I planted with my friend (and our wives) back in 2001 just moved to a new home. St Stephen's in the field (under construction in the above archival shot) in downtown Toronto. They've launched a new site and are moving towards a Sunday morning service in addition to their flagship evening service.  In addition St. Stephen's will provide them with mid-week space and office space.

It's a huge step in the right direction and a credit to their Elders and my man Cyril Guerette the lead pastor there.

They had their first service there this past Sunday.  If you're a Toronto-dweller and inclined to check out a Church I'd (obviously) heartily recommend hitting Freedomize Toronto up.

The reason for the post on it--other than to give props where they're richly deserved--is to mark the occasion, like a signpost.  

For me, personally, this step for FT is an affirmation of my and my friends sense of original call--that there was room in downtown Toronto's culture for a Church that would do things in a way that 'spoke to' our post-christian peers.  It's eight years later and our wee baby Church is not only still kicking but growing.

That's something to be thankful for.

(I mean, who wants to plant a Church only to see it die?)

Something to thank God for.

Something to remind me (and maybe 'us') of the fact that nothing is built overnight and nothing is built without pain and nothing is built without grace.

But if you (and others) faithfully do what you've been called to do (and even when you lack faith you still do it out of sheer discipline) day after day stretching into year after year, something beautiful and good and life-giving can rise into being where before that thing was not.

Like a downtown Church.

Or maybe a new suburban one.

Oh snap!

More on that later.

T