Facility Renewal Plans Revealed!

In this post: Facility Renewal Update, an Invitation to Prayer and Fasting, Children's Ministry Director Update, and Much More!

Facility Renewal Update

I am so pleased to share that last Sunday, on October 26, we finally revealed our Facility Renewal Plans to our church. Ryan Yu, our Executive Administrator, who is spearheading this project on behalf of the Elders, Deacons, and Staff at Richview, led the presentation. He took us on a walk through the building and shared much of the changes that we plan to make. While the "mood in the room" seems to be one of excitement and anticipation, these changes are not official until the membership approves this initiative at our November 16 Members Meeting at 6pm. (Reminder: We invite everyone to attend the meeting, but only formal members can vote and ask questions.)

 You can get a glimpse of these changes in our foyer at the church, where some high-level drawings are on display. Let me just point out a few highlights. We are planning to install an elevator which will go from the basement to the third floor. We are re-organizing the layout so that Kids Ministry, Youth Ministry, and various other ministries have their own designated spaces. We are increasing the number of accessible washrooms and meeting rooms. The auditorium is getting a refresh and update, as well as the finishes in most public areas of the church. We are improving the heating and cooling systems in the building. We even have plans to increase the number of parking spots, assuming we can get approvals from the City of Toronto. In other words, we're planning big changes!

Why? Because we want our facility to help us in our mission to joyfully lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus. We want a building that is ready to receive our church family and our wider community. We want our ministries to be available and accessible throughout the week, without being hindered by other ministries happening at the same time.

Thank you, to our staff, elders, deacons, and ministry leaders, who have all put their input, ideas, time, and prayer into these plans. This really does seem like a community effort, and may God continue to bless our unity.

Invitation to Prayer and Fasting - Friday November 14 to Sunday November 16

I invite you to join me in three days of prayer and fasting leading up to our vote on November 16 at 6pm. We do not want to make this decision lightly. We want to, as a collective church, seek God's will and direction. As Scripture teaches, the horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord. (Proverbs 21:31) We can plan and prepare all we want, but without God's sovereign and decisive power, there will be no victory. As we commit to make a major step, and as we ourselves prepare to give towards the work that will be done, we want to appeal to God for church unity and kingdom impact. May these plans prosper, not because of our wisdom, but because of God's gory.

So I invite you to begin a fast on November 14 until after the meeting on November 16. After the meeting, we will provide some light refreshments to break your fast. Of course, there may be health reasons why you cannot do a traditional fast for that long, or at all, and so it is between you and God as to how you can freely and joyfully participate. But however you participate, may it include prayer for the unity and impact of our church for God's purposes.

Children's Ministry Director Update

As you probably already know, after much fruitful ministry, Joanne Leggat will be retiring as our Children's Ministry Director at the end of 2026. Richview is already underway in a search for someone to take up that role. Why so early? Our denomination, FEB Central, has communicated to churches that Children's Ministry Directors are not easy to come by these days. Many churches are searching, few are finding. And so we have given ourselves plenty of runway to find the right fit. We've had a number of applications thus far, but only a select few will be interviewed. That process is ongoing, so please pray.

Much More!

There's so much to be excited for at Richview. The Grocery Giveaway is happening on November 15, and we are excited at the response. If you haven't yet, please sign up to volunteer (at the Info Center), or to receive a bag if you are in need (at RichviewChurch.com/food), or both!

The Christmas Season is upcoming, and we've got big plans! The Christmas Wagon Ride will make a return to its format in previous years. On Saturday Dec. 6 from 5-7pm, we're inviting you, and your family, and your neighbour's family, to come for a carol-singing wagon ride, enjoy live music, a Nativity Scene photo op, activities, games, snacks, and other fun! This year, we are hoping to have two wagons, which means less waiting and more enjoying!

We're also planning a special Candlelight Christmas Service called "Re-Enchanted by Christmas" on Sunday Dec 21 and Wednesday Dec.24, both at 6:30pm. The two services will be the same, but they give you more flexibility to invite friends and family. Your neighbour might have plans on Christmas Eve, so that's why we opened up another night! We are busy making preparations for what should be a surprising, inviting, and wonder-filled evening.

This Sunday, we'll have Christmas invitation postcards ready for you to take, post on bulletins, give to neighbours, or put on your own fridge as a reminder.

Our Livestream is back to being...live! As we made some important updates to our system, the online service had lagged behind a week. But thankfully, we are back operational, and fairly quickly! Big thanks goes to our stream team and our Worship Ministry Director Gaius Ponto for managing and leading the transition. We hope that our Livestream will continue to be a great "welcome mat" for those who are seeking Christ. I find that most people who are visiting Richview have checked out several livestream videos first, and so we want to put our best foot forward online.

I get the privilege of representing Richview Church at FEB (Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches) National Convention next week. This year, the Convention is quite nearby in Etobicoke! Please pray for the effectiveness and unity of our denomination as pastors from churches around the country come together to celebrate what God has done and seek where God is leading.

That's all for now, church. May God bless you.

Pastor Tyler