It’s always difficult when a family experiences change, and that’s certainly how this past year has felt as we’ve said goodbye to four much-loved members of the Fellowship Pacific Ministry Centre team.

At this point, you might be wondering, “What is going on at the Ministry Centre?” We want to assure you—nothing bad has happened! Each departure has come for different and very meaningful reasons, whether retirement, a new role, returning to school, or family commitments. While we celebrate each person and the next step in their journey, there are certainly mixed emotions as we say goodbye.

The latest to leave us is Joleen Alexander and her departure has been especially bittersweet. We knew her family had been tugging at her heartstrings, and after much thought, she made the difficult decision to step away so she could be more present at home with her children.

Many of you have been touched by Joleen’s big smile, positive attitude, and the many gifts she brought to her role as our Events and Communications Coordinator. For the past two years, she was the driving force behind our annual Impact conference, and we were truly blessed to have her leading the way. Joleen had an incredible ability to juggle countless details, keep everyone and everything on track, and somehow do it all while extending grace, encouragement, and a smile to everyone she encountered.

Joleen also loved discovering and sharing stories from our churches. She took great joy in gathering those stories and bringing them together in our monthly newsletter, helping us stay connected with all that God is doing across our Fellowship family. And those social media posts? That was all Joleen!

We’re a little late in announcing Joleen’s departure—mostly because this is exactly the kind of task she would normally have taken care of herself!

Joleen, you have been such a gift to our Ministry Centre team and to the wider Fellowship family. You are deeply missed, and we are so grateful for the time, energy, creativity, and joy you shared with us. While we’re sad to see you go, we celebrate this next chapter and wish you and your family every blessing as you make more memories together at home.

As we transition into September, a vibrant shift occurs in the rhythms of our church community. The summer months offer a sense of "freedom," where many of us travel, participate in camps, and enjoy a break from routine commitments. However, when September arrives, the church gears up to embrace the energy of a new season, welcoming back our "nomads" and reconnecting with all who attend. There’s an undeniable excitement in the air as we roll out fresh and revamped programs designed to enrich our fellowship.

What ignites the most anticipation as we look forward to the fall season? Perhaps it’s the renewed hope for growth—both spiritually and numerically. Our pastors and congregants alike seek a welcoming space, a community that embraces individuals for who they are while also nurturing their Christian journeys.

As we embark on this new season, there is much to celebrate. Many of our churches have successfully hosted camps over the summer, with soccer camps making significant strides in positively impacting our communities and their families. I recently connected with several pastors in areas affected by wildfires, and they all shared a profound sense of protection. While the fires came alarmingly close, they spared our congregations, with smoke being the most significant challenge. We are grateful to the Lord!

At the Fellowship Pacific Ministry Center, we have experienced a refreshing. The center has undergone some much-needed updates and is looking splendid! Elizabeth Fulkner recently took a well-deserved sabbatical, and while some staff have moved on to pursue new commitments, we are thrilled to welcome Pam Chapman to our team on a contract basis. With her grace and expertise, we look forward to the positive impact she will undoubtedly bring in the days ahead.

As my grandfather used to say, “Let’s swap prayers.” I encourage you all to pray for each other in your individual ministries, and please remember to pray for us as we seek to steward the work God has entrusted to us. Together, let’s embrace the blessings and opportunities that this new season brings.

Let’s make this fall a memorable one!

The world and certainly British Columbia, was caught up in the excitement of soccer this summer with World Cup games played right here in our own province. Seeing the global impact of a popular game was invigorating! Soccer is definitely a popular sport and one that many of our churches use for outreach each summer. Summer 2026 was no different. The summer season is well underway, and it is a time when church life looks a little different. Regular attendees are away, visitors are stopping by. It's a time to refresh, soak up some much-needed sun and spend time with family, a time for a break from schedules and making lunches for school. Many spend multiple hours at a baseball field or soccer field watching their kids hone their skills and make memories while the parents connect and get eaten alive by mosquitoes, fun times.

Tina Neufeld's story is a reminder of what can happen when we say "yes" to God's invitation. What began as a first mission trip with Central Baptist Church in Victoria has grown into new partnerships, deeper faith, and an opportunity to lead others into the powerful experience. As Tina prepares to lead Central’s 2026 team to El Salvador, her story reflects the kind of Kingdom impact that grows when we go boldly forward together.

In February 2025, I went on my first ever missions trip. The team of 14 from Central Baptist Church, Victoria, lead by Pastor Shawn Barden, went to San Vincente, El Salvador to build houses in partnership with Shelter. Shelter is an amazing organization started in 2002 by a couple in Calgary who had a heard about how a series of natural disasters had left thousands of the poorest people in El Salvador without homes.

I went in with no prior missions experience, no building experience, and no Spanish language skills beyond a few words learned from Dora the Explorer episodes when my kids were much younger! Basically, all I had was a willing heart that said “yes” to God’s call. What followed was one of the most impactful weeks of my life.

In February 2026, the BC Provincial Government announced a $475 million investment to expand supports for children and youth with disabilities and support needs. While this investment will benefit many families, significant gaps remain for children with learning disabilities who often do not qualify for intensive disability supports yet still require specialized educational assistance to succeed in school. One local school estimates that more than 110 of its 400 students face some form of learning challenge. For families with limited financial resources, accessing private tutoring is often impossible.

This is where Vancouver Urban Ministries is making a life-changing impact. Without the free specialized one-on-one tutoring that Vancouver Urban Ministries provides to children with learning disabilities from lower-income homes, these children are at risk of being left behind academically and struggling to make their way in life in the future.

A Church Consultation is one of the most practical and spiritually grounded ways to help your church stay healthy, focused, and faithful to its mission.

Because healthy churches don’t just happen, they’re built with care, courage, and community. As Fellowship Pacific, we go boldly forward, never alone.

This month, we hear directly from a church that has gone through the process: Dunbar Heights Baptist Church in Vancouver.

As Janel Bucknor begins a new chapter in her professional journey, we want to express our deep gratitude for the many ways she has served Fellowship Pacific over the past three and a half years.

As Media Specialist on the Resource Team, Janel has brought creativity, excellence, and heart to everything she has touched. Through video storytelling, she has captured intimate stories that reflect God's work in our churches and in the lives of individuals within them. Her storytelling has helped us celebrate ministry, share testimonies, and connect our Fellowship family in meaningful ways.

One of the quiet gifts of being part of Fellowship Pacific is the rhythm of gathering. Across our churches, we are not only connected by shared mission, but by a shared commitment to show up for one another—to pray, to listen, and to remember that we are not labouring alone.

Boldly Forward. Never Alone.

Pastor Jeremy MacDonald of Faith Baptist shares a recent story with us of what that looks like in practice through relationships, shared worship, and partnership among Fellowship Pacific churches in Vancouver.

For many migrant workers across British Columbia, far from home and family, simple acts of hospitality can open the door to hope, community, and the love of Jesus. Through Planting the Seed (Sembrando la Semilla), Pastor Carlos Carrion continues to faithfully serve migrant workers throughout the Fraser Valley and beyond.

As a ministry partner of Fellowship Pacific, the Migrant Workers Ministry exists to lead people to Jesus Christ. The events, serving, and helping migrant workers all point to sharing the love of Jesus.

To everyone who gathered with friends, came alongside a ministry coworker, or showed up as an emerging leader, thank you for making RENEW 2026 such a meaningful day!

On April 11, leaders from across Fellowship Pacific gathered for RENEW Conference, a one-day spiritual retreat designed to refresh, encourage, and invest in those leading the next generation. Youth, kids, and young adult ministry leaders, pastors, volunteers, and emerging leaders all gathered with the same purpose: to slow down, worship, pray, reflect, and reconnect with Jesus.

Located in Maple Ridge, BC, Burnett Church is a come-as-you-are community inviting everyone to participate in the story God is telling. Guided by its mission to love Jesus and love others, Burnett strives to create a place where all feel they truly belong. As part of Fellowship Pacific, the shared value of generous belonging is alive and growing, reflected in Burnett’s recent updates and initiatives that welcome and equip everyone to be part of God’s work in the community.

It is with deep gratitude and joy that we share an important staffing update from the Fellowship Pacific Ministry Centre and Northwest College and Seminary with our family of churches across British Columbia and the Yukon.

After more than 17 years of faithful, visionary service, Krista Penner will be transitioning from her role at Fellowship Pacific to a new position with Northwest College and Seminary, where she will serve as Director of Leadership Development, beginning March 1, 2026.