Lead Us to the Harvest

For the last couple of years, the Lord has been bringing Winnipeg before us through various directions. “Grow, glow, and go” is the mission statement of Calgary Punjabi Church. Local outreach and missions are part of our DNA.

As time went by, our hearts toward Winnipeg grew stronger. Our leadership team came together and sought after the Lord in prayer. The Lord affirmed our hearts to step out to reach the Punjabi community in Winnipeg. Isaiah 54:1-3 became the basis to enlarge, stretch forth, and strengthen. On August 27, 2017, our leadership com-missioned a team of five under the leadership of Pastor Balwant Bedi on a journey filled with praise and prayer.

This team of five began their work on the ground by connecting with local church leaders to discuss and plan their strategy to reach the Punjabi community in Winnipeg. By the Lord’s leading, the local leaders had sensed the same passion and desire to reach the Punjabi too. As the team met and presented this vision to Rick, the Senior Pastor of Maple Community Church, he opened his church building whole-heartedly for its meetings.

Through God’s grace, many Punjabi- and Hindi-speaking individuals and families came out to the first service. As this team from Calgary shared their testimonies, the Holy Spirit was on the move and several people gave their lives to the Lord that day. The team saw many people having an interest in meeting every Sunday to worship together and this Punjabi Sunday service has continued since.

In our commitment and ongoing relationship with this community, we continue to see the Lord at work there through the first-fruits of our community in Calgary. Kamal Arshi, one of the first few who came to know the Lord through Calgary Punjabi church, was recently laid off from work. She was not a bit worried but was rather glad to have time to visit Winnipeg on a short-term missions trip. She was overwhelmed with joy to meet the new families there. She shared the gospel with them and within the 10 days of her trip, 10 people accepted Jesus as their Saviour. The Spirit continues to lead us to where the harvest is and God is growing our church fast.

This story is taken from the Fall 2018 Alliance Connection magazine. You can get a free copy of the Alliance Connection at Alliance churches across Canada or view the digital copy online. We hope you will be encouraged and inspired to go deeper in Jesus and as a result, further on mission.