After a few summers that didn’t quite live up to our expectations weather-wise this summer has been fantastic. Things here at Laurentian have slowed down a bit for the summer as people have taken time to enjoy the warm weather. In our last edition of our News From The Pews I shared in an article about a possible change to our Local Board of Administration (LBA) that would be brought forward at our Local Church Conference (LCC).   more...

Last February with the support of the people of Laurentian I was able to go to Mexico along with two others from Powassan Wesleyan Church on a short term mission trip to continue the work that we had started the year before in Todos Santos. We were able to accomplish   more...

In August of 2007 the people of Laurentian Wesleyan Church welcomed me and my family with open arms knowing that this was my first full time call into ministry. At the time I had been a Licensed Minister for just over a year. Years before coming to Laurentian I   more...

How do you feel about change? While some people find the experience unsettling and difficult, others thrive upon it and thrill to the idea of change. Ideally, the majority of us would like to see levels somewhere in between. Life is filled with change, and we   more...

It is with much appreciation that we thank Murray Byer for his dedicated service in performing the duties of our Business Manager/Treasurer. Rudy Wiens has graciously   more...

What is the LBA? LBA stands for Local Board of Administration. It is the governing church board which has the responsibility of carrying out the will of the Local Church Conference (LCC). The LCC meets on a yearly basis to manage the day-to-day business of the church. Currently we have a six member board with Pastor Chris sitting on the board as Chairman. Over the last few months the LBA has wrestled with   more...

There has been a lot of activity at Laurentian over the last couple of months. Excitement had been building within the church as our 75th Anniversary Celebrations neared. We had a wonderful two day event in which we enjoyed a delicious dinner together followed by a special evening celebration service on Saturday November 21st. The celebrations continued   more...

January is a new beginning. This January was special because it was not only the beginning of a new year but also a new decade. As a church we have just celebrated 75 years of existence but as we celebrated the past we also have been looking towards the future. What will the next year bring? What will the next   more...

2,958 shoeboxes full of items such as school supplies, hygiene products, candy and toys were collected from North Bay and the surrounding communities. Laurentian Wesleyan Church located in North Bay is the Regional Collection Centre for the area and has been promoting this program in our area. Pastor Chris Lang of Laurentian Wesleyan Church said   more...

Fall at Laurentian has been a season of preparations and of new beginnings. We have many wonderful things to give God thanks for as we move together through this season. In September our Bible Study and Youth Group once again started to meet but with both activities there was a new twist this fall.   more...

As we come closer to our anniversary celebrations I would like to share with the church some of the plans that we have been diligently working hard to complete. On Saturday November 21st, and Sunday November 22nd, the people of Laurentian Wesleyan Church will be celebrating and giving God thanks for our rich and wonderful 75 year history while also looking towards the future.   more...

Since our Last Local Church Conference there has been new developments concerning the missionaries we as a church have supported. Both Cora Gorman and Rod Guptill who we have supported for years are returning from the mission field and are no longer in need of our financial support. In saying that there are many opportunities in which our church can be of great help.   more...

On Thursday September 17, a group of men from Laurentian Wesleyan Church shipped out 54 Banana Boxes full of donated Christian material, such as Bibles, hymnals and Sunday School material, to the Christian Salvage Mission (CSM). Since 2007 Laurentian Wesleyan Church has shipped out over   more...

2009 has been a very busy year for Laurentian and it seems that it hasn’t slowed down at all during the summer. Looking back at the last few months I am grateful to see how God has been with us and has blessed us with so much. One event that didn’t make our spring newsletter but I felt should be mentioned was   more...

We’re moving forward! Our 2009 edition of our Family Finder was printed and handed out at the beginning of the new year. I have received a lot of positive feedback on the new format for our Family Finder and I am glad that it has been well received by the people of our church. Also in January, our church prepared to send their pastor packing sort of speak.   more...

Last February, I had the privileged to go on a short term mission trip to Ensenada , Baja California , Mexico. I was glad for the opportunity to be able to serve the Lord in this way. What surprised me the most about this mission trip was not how much I gave but how much I received.   more...

Winter came early this year, with a good amount of snow already on the ground by the beginning of December. Now even though there’s been a lot of snow in North Bay it hasn’t deterred us here at Laurentian from worshiping and serving our Lord or for that matter enjoying each other as we grow closer to God together and to each other.   more...

Our first (and hopefully annual!) Cookies for Missions was a huge success thanks to the overwhelming response and generosity of the Wesleyan Church Congregation. Our church members opened their hearts and kitchens to bake wonderful Christmas baking which was later packaged and sold by the Wesleyan Kids For Missions and the Church’s Youth Group. In total we raised $385.00!!   more...

A little bit of sun, a touch of warm weather mixed with a lot of excitement. That’s how I would characterize the summer of 2008. We have had so many things to give God thanks for over the past summer months. Starting off at the beginning of July I attended the conference for the Central Canada District of The Wesleyan Church where our church along with a few other churches were recognized for having the largest increase in average attendance for the past five years. Our church is growing! Let us give thanks to God for each new person who we can connect, share and grow with.   more...

On Thursday October 2nd, eight men from Laurentian gathered to move 66 heavy banana boxes full of Bibles, Christian books, Sunday School materials, tapes, videos and more from the loft to a trailer and then to two pallets at ERB Transport. This material was sent to the Christian Salvage Mission (CSM) in Hamilton . But it wasn't all just work and no fun.   more...

It was an exciting day here at Laurentian Wesleyan Church on Sunday June 1. We were privileged to have Pastor Jeremy, his wife Mina and their daughter Nadia with us. Pastor Jeremy is a former missionary who this church prayerfully and financially supported while he was on the mission field. Pastor Jeremy and his family have just recently come to Canada . For Pastor Jeremy he is coming home but for his wife Mina and their daughter Nadia Canada is a whole new experience.   more...

Being new to Laurentian I have to say that this church has a few surprises up its sleeves. Not too long after arriving here I was surprised to learn that Laurentian was the first church in the Central Canada District to send out a missionary. Bertha Major the daughter of the founding minister Rev. W. J. Major and the sister of Bea Mooney and Beryl Nicolson was the first missionary of our district. She served five terms in Sierra Leone , Africa . Recently I sat down with Bea and Beryl and chatted with them about their sister Bertha. The following is a small excerpt from our conversation.   more...

The past three months have just flown by here at Laurentian and I’m excited to be able to share with you what God has been doing with this wonderful church. In the last edition of the News From The Pews I wished everyone a Merry Christmas and that’s exactly what we had here at Laurentian.   more...

Since we have several families that have started coming to Laurentian in recent years, I think I should clarify our procedures for the use of envelopes for your offerings. As you are probably aware, in order to issue receipts for Income Tax purposes, it is essential for regular donors to use pre-numbered envelopes.   more...

It’s hard to believe that the season of Christmas is upon us already. It feels as if my family and I have just arrived and yet as I look back on the last three months I can see that God has blessed the work that has just begun here at Laurentian. One of the first challenges that came to light when I began my ministry work here at Laurentian was the need to update our sound system.   more...

During my first few months here at Laurentian one of my goals was to try and assess the immediate needs of the church. Thankfully this task was made easier for me because of the honesty and willingness of the people of Laurentian to share ideas and concerns with me. The immediate concerns that I saw that needed to be addressed are: (1) Sound system, (2) Communication, (3) Pastoral Connection and (4) Membership. None of these immediate concerns have been completely addressed but they are all in a work in progress stage and I would like to briefly update you on them.   more...

Jean Vanier said, “There are times when together we discover that we make up a single body, that we belong to each other and that God has called us to be together as a source of life for each other.” Church experience is meant to be so much more than just spending an hour together worshiping God on Sunday mornings. It isn’t meant to be some dusty organization that does the same thing week in and week out. The church is alive, it is vibrant and it is meant to have a real impact on each of our lives.   more...

September is here and school has begun for our youth. Soon it will grow cooler and the trees will explode in colour. Nature will give us one final display of its beauty before settling in for a long winter’s nap. Like the seasons that change throughout the year so things are changing here at Laurentian with the change of pastors.   more...