Dear Willowdale Church Family,
This past Monday, your pastoral team gathered to pray and look ahead to our mission for 2026. As we looked at the calendar, we realized how easily the “good” can crowd out the “great.” February is flying by, filled with wonderful moments like our Pathfinder Banquet and upcoming church potluck. But if we aren’t careful, we can race through another year checking off activities while drifting away from the very reason we exist.
The Church was established, first and foremost, for mission.
At Willowdale, we say our mission is “To Know Jesus and to Make Jesus Known.” It is a simple phrase, but it is our marching orders from the Master Himself. For too many of us, the word “evangelism” sparks guilt or anxiety—we picture big events or high-pressure sales pitches. But true evangelism is much more natural: it is simply introducing our friends, family, and neighbours to Jesus through the rhythm of day-to-day conversation.
To ensure we are “making the main thing the main thing,” we are making a strategic shift:
- A Pivot in Focus. While we look forward to the fellowship of the 14th and 21st, we are dedicating Sabbath, February 28, as a church-wide Evangelistic Planning and Training Emphasis.
- A New Synergy. On that day, you will see “Sabbath School Alive” meet and marry “The Great Belong.” We are aligning our Sabbath school study time and our Divine Worship hour to focus on our mission; reaching out to those who don’t yet know or experienced the abundant life Jesus offers.
- A Spiritual Preparation. I am challenging every member of the Willowdale Church family to make the lead-up to February 28 a season of prayer and fasting. Whether you fast from food, technology, or social media, use that space to ask the Holy Spirit to fall afresh on each one of us.
Let’s pray for a “holy burden” for our community and neighbours. Let’s stop racing for a moment, pump the brakes on our busy schedules, and realign our hearts with the Great Commission. Willowdale, let’s offer our absolute best to the Master!
Even so, come Lord Jesus.