The Blog of Gordon Pifher

I have a dream. I will be able to push the “seek button” on my radio and hear the CBC and VOAR (Voice of Adventist Radio) in every community in our Conference.

The CRTC Guidelines • Government goal to establish more media options for each Canadian community. • Allows a rebroadcast of our Adventist radio station, VOAR. • Must be an available radio frequency that will not interfere with others.

Why VOAR? • VOAR, which was started in 1929, has been the only full-time religious radio station in Canada. • VOAR has been appreciated by the CRTC for over 56 years. • VOAR, in 2002, up-linked to Bell Satellite, making it possible to cover all of Canada. Anyone with Bell Satellite can enjoy this in their homes.

Installation - Detailed But Doable • Local church approval • Community approval • Professional application to Industry Canada • Locate a site for the radio tower • Purchase the receiver/transmitter equipment • Get Conference help with onsite installation • Listen 24/7 to Adventist Christian radio • Do some local advertising • Establish a good Discover Bible School to follow-up VOP on VOAR.

Important to Remember • VOAR ministry is an outreach to non-members. Some of the music will not appeal to all Adventists. • VOAR is mandated by the CRTC to be a community radio station. Some of the programming will not be Adventist.
• Without the VOAR miracle, most of our communities might never have the opportunity to have an Adventist program on their community radio.

Interested? • Contact Stan Jensen -
sjensen@bcadventist.ca

Miracle Doors • 56 years ago, God opened the door to have an Adventist radio station in Newfoundland. • In 2007, another door has opened to have Adventist radio in your community. • Today, I can claim the prayer of Paul. “Pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ….” Colossians 4:3.

On March 5, a note was placed on the door of the Conference office indicating a family had lost everything in an Abbotsford house fire. Frank McMiller, BC ADRA coordinator, promptly visited the devastated couple, Rick and Rosslynn Froese and heard their miraculous story.

Rick was home alone lying on the couch of their mobile home. He wasn’t aware that flames were already licking at the ceiling in the room where he lay sleeping. Rick desperately needed help! It came in the form of their old family dog. This faithful friend is almost blind but his canine senses perceived his owner was in danger. He approached the couch and licked his master’s face. Rick remembers dreaming about looking at the flames but went back to sleep. The persistent pet came back to his master and actually nipped him. The bite worked.

Rick woke up and got out of the trailer just in time to see their home completely destroyed. Their faithful friend was a little singed but alive. There was no doubt in Rick’s mind that his dog saved his life.

Now the Froese’s faced the next challenge. They lost almost everything. Emergency social service supplied 3 days of hotel housing. Pastor McMiller arranged with the hotel to give a few more additional days accommodation.

First, God used a faithful dog and now He looked for a faithful church.

The family was taken to the Chilliwack Church Community Services Director, Richard Matzele. They were given clothes and some much needed basic necessities. Pastor John Gilbert met with his Board. They felt impressed to let the family use the church parsonage until they could make permanent housing arrangements. The Froese family contacted other churches in their community but the Adventist Church is the one that has became “their faithful friend”.

The dog provided the lick and the nip. Our Church provided the clothing, the house, the furniture, and the friendship.

Praise the Lord for a faithful God, a faithful dog and a faithful Church!

“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Matthew 25: 35 - 40 (portions of)

I was fascinated with the story of two children that had the job of planting thousands of pumpkin seeds. In the middle of the day when the sun was hot and the swimming hole was cool, they decided they had planted all the seeds dad would need. They secretly got rid of hundreds of seeds by throwing them in a hole by the big oak tree.

I can relate to the surprised kids, when weeks later, their father called them over to ask why hundreds of pumpkin plants were sprouting up under the old tree. The lesson was clear. “Whatever you sow you will reap”. Galatians 6:7 This story also contains a promise for faithful “farmers” in BC.

Our BC “Farming Report” will also tell a story.

2006 Evangelistic Reaping Report • 10 full-scale “reaping events” with guest evangelists • $198,000 invested in these events • Guest Speakers:
Leo Schreven - 3 events Jason Sliger - 2 events Radiant Living Brian Bechtold Adam Ramdin Victor Gill Byron Corbett

Results • 77 baptisms during the events • Additional 40 baptisms from Global Evangelism presentations • Dozens still in baptismal classes • Hundreds of new interests that have heard the Adventist message

2007 An Unprecedented Evangelistic Year Your offerings have empowered us to expand our seed-sowing in 2007in a miraculous manner. • 25 full-scale “reaping events” planned (2.5 times more than 2006) • $323,000 promised to local churches for evangelism support • Guest Speakers:
Radiant Living Bill Santos Michael Mattzela Leo Schreven -2 events Gordon Smedley Herb Desjarlais Todd Rosspencer Mike Tucker Gordon Pifher Michael McPherson Light Bearers Ern Brake Victor Gill Vidal Verdusco Ken Naidoo John Bradshaw

This is the largest monetary investment the BC Conference has ever directed toward public “reaping events.” What will the “farming report” be for 2007?

We don’t know where the seed will grow but we do have “farming” promises. • “Whatever you sow, you will reap.” Galatians 6:7 • “A farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.” 2 Corinthians 9:6

Pray the Lord of the Harvest will use you to • Prepare the soil • Protect the crop • Rejoice in the harvest

Thank you again for empowering our churches to plant generously.