Shelter RPC

Location: Edmonton, Alberta

Members: 18 communicant; 19 baptized

Organized: 2010

Pastor: Bob Hackett

We aren’t the only church in town. But we are the only RP church in town. As a matter of fact, we are the only one in western Canada. Our nearest neighbor waving the royal blue banner with the nice gold trim would be in Ottawa, Ont. Speaking of the royal blue and gold: In spite of our being one of the smaller congregations in the denomination, we boast the largest Covenanter banner ever, custom made. We hang it up every Lord’s Day behind the pulpit. Interestingly enough, we had it made and put into use long before we actually gave any thought to joining the RPCNA. It was our calling all along.

On our web site we introduce ourselves as “a small but increasingly growing, vibrant congregation that meets in the heart of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,” and that sums it up the best. As a congregation this church has existed for 35 or 40 years under different names, faces and denominational flavors, but for sake of time I’m going update you on recent history. The church has undergone what can only be described as an extreme makeover in these last few years.

We joined the RPCNA in 2010, and it marked a turning point for the church. Over the last four years we have witnessed God establishing for us a solid foundation. He has brought the right people at just the right times to meet the needs of the congregation. Elders Kevin Neumann and Jordan Dohms have a very active role in the leadership of the church. Lewis Churchill was ordained as the church’s first deacon last year.

The congregation consists largely of young families and a few single college/university students. This makes for an exciting dynamic in our meetings. It is a great joy to be part of their growth in Christ. It also comes with challenges as God develops our characters and works in us all to bring about more of Him in our lives. Families love and sometimes fight, and we’re no different. Recently we took up some Thursday evening studies to consider the book of Jonah. The young children in our congregation enjoy getting involved in these studies, asking lots of good questions and making very interesting observations. It is a great joy to watch their eyes light up and to witness their countenance brighten when they are engaged and taken seriously. Truly, children are blessings from the Lord.

Within the last year members of two families from the Philippines have moved to Edmonton to make preparations for their remaining family members to join them at the end of March. This is an exciting development for our church, and we are praying about the possibility of an outreach work to the Philippine community here in Edmonton through these families.

Last October, Pastor Daniel Kok left the United Reformed Churches, and sought ordination with the RPCNA. We were extremely pleased to have him, his wife Jen, and their children attending Shelter RPC while they awaited the Lord’s direction. Daniel has been sharing pulpit duties and teaching a series on the Westminster standards and the RP Testimony. These have proved to be very insightful and beneficial for our group. We have also been communicating with families in the Calgary area that have expressed interest in an RPCNA church plant there. Things look positive, and we are proceeding with much prayer.

With growth come many challenges. We have experienced much joy and a few disappointments in the journey thus far. The Lord is faithful in it all, and we continue to trust in Him. After all, it was Christ who said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18).

Praise be to His great name!

—Pastor Bob Hackett