Dearly Beloved

Last week in our Dearly Beloved, Mike shared a little bit about our time in Victoria church planting. It was an incredible thing to see God move in our area and watch a church grow from just a few committed people in our home to a large gathering. There were miracles and signs and wonders and best of all, genuine salvations by people within our sphere. Perhaps though, the most life changing part of it all, for me, was to personally be transformed into an ‘everyday missionary.’ 

As often goes for pastor’s kids, I was practically born on the front pew. Ok, not literally.. But I did spend most of my time at church as a child/teen/early adult. If there was a service, we were there. I was on the worship team, I helped with Sunday school, almost all of my friends were Christians. The same went for early in our marriage and really up until we moved to Victoria. When we moved to Victoria to start a church, it really was just Mike and I and our two young boys. There were maybe a handful of others who were interested in learning more and potentially joining us, but by and large, us Bidells were ‘our church’ to begin with. So, who was our congregation? 

Our neighbours! 

I had been on many short term missions trips growing up, and was blessed to lead a few friends to the Lord in high school, but this was the first time in my life where my ‘Christian Bubble’ was totally and completely popped. Let me tell you that season of my life, not as a pastor but just as Laura, regular gal who loves Jesus and is a good neighbour, was the most faith building, Holy Spirit empowering, and life changing transformation. I learned that my friends can come to know Jesus before ever stepping foot in the front door of a church. Though I had been a Christian all along, I needed to embrace that I was a missionary to Victoria! 

The second of our 5 Prayer Priorities for 2025 is that we would be 500 missionaries to the Comox Valley. Somewhere in the past year, our church crested over the 500 mark of people who call CPC their home church. Can you imagine what could happen if we didn’t just see ourselves as attenders of this church but saw ourselves as missionaries to our surrounding community?! Are you open to allowing the Lord to expand your heart and transform your life once more? I am! 

Join us in praying. Pray for me, pray for you! Let’s pray for and believe that each of us would:

• Adopt a missionary mindset
• Work together in areas of common mission-field through Gospel Intentionality Together and our church value of 3 cups of tea & 6 other friends. 

It would be exciting to meet a person who recently moved to the Comox Valley as a missionary. But what’s even more exciting is that we already have 500 right here, right now!

Empower us, Holy Spirit. We are open!

Pastor Laura