Williams Lake First Baptist Church

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH of Williams Lake, BCWe exist to glorify and enjoy Him... forever!
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Welcome from First Baptist Church of Williams LakeI want to extend a warm welcome, as the pastor of First Baptist Church, to all who have checked out our website. We are blessed to have had the opportunity to use this medium as an extension of our ministry. The Lord has led gifted people to us to help us reach out further than the building on the corner of Carson and Western where the Church meets.We recently celebrated fifty years as a congregation that initially formed in 1960 and three years later built the building in which we still meet for worship services. The assembly and its associations and makeup have undergone a lot of changes in the past five decades, but Jesus Christ still remains as the sure foundation for First Baptist Church (1 Cor. 3:11). This congregation is committed to the Holy Scriptures and to Jesus Christ and the orthodoxy of the Christian Church. We are a missional Church in that we support missions around the world both financially and with prayer. We seek to evangelize the good news of the Gospel to our community in Word and deed by distributing a monthly newsletter which proclaim the gospel, operating regular Free Stores where clothing is distributed to the needy, and providing lunches in the park for the homeless on a regular basis. One will quickly notice that this assembly of believers is not just committed to the above but to one another. We are a Church family that takes discipleship and thus membership in the Body of Christ seriously. If you are serious about the Word of God and desire to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and thus endeavor to follow Him and be a true disciple then we encourage you to come join with us and become part of our Church family. Those who do are assured of the opportunity for growth in the Lord, as discipleship is what we are about. To grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is what the Holy Bible calls Christians to and it is what we are serious about (2 Pet. 3:18). Yet even with the seriousness of our calling, we still have a lot of fun as a Church family, whether working together or enjoying outings with food and fellowship. On the Lord's Day ministry begins with Sunday school for all ages at 9:45 am, followed by a worship service at 11:00 am which includes praise with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (choruses), expository preaching and prayer. Typically we have a lunch following the service. There is also an evening service at 6:00 pm. We believe that there is an important distinction between doing Church and being the Church. In our day many professing Christians are content with the former but we want to be upfront that there is a world of difference between being religious and following the Lord Jesus. The latter requires an earnest and sincere commitment on behalf of those wanting to be disciples who are commended at the end of their days with 'well done good and faithful slave' (Mat. 25:21, 23). We have found that this kind of committed discipleship is rare these days but we have also seen the fruit of it in our lives. We encourage all who name the Name of Jesus Christ to do whatever you do for the glory of His Name and with a whole heart that His Name would be praised (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:21). If this reflects your heart then ours would be a good congregation for you.There has been a lot of material produced in the past nine years, most of which is found in the archives of this site. During my time as pastor here we have been led to an emphasis on Spiritual Warfare in both preaching and writing. The books written can be found and purchased through links on this site. We also have a monthly newsletter 'The Little Church upon the Hill' which can be found at various locations in our city as well as here on the website. The material on this website is free to use, we only ask that proper citation be made in all usage. If you have any questions or require any pastoral help we will be happy to assist you in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ.
picture of pastor 2.JPG

Services

Sunday School

9:45 am

Sunday morning

11:00 am

Sunday evening

6:00 pm

Wheelchair & Handicap

accessible

Contact

295 Western Ave.

Williams Lake, BC

V2G 2H6

250-392-4937

About Us

Covenant

COVENANT

The following Church covenant is presented as representative of the spirit in which we join together as a Church.

It is not a covenant of legalism but of liberty in Christ.

Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to repent of our sin and put our trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit as the outward symbol of the inward spiritual reality which has taken place in our hearts, we do now, in the presence of God and this assembly most solemnly and joyfully covenant ourselves together as one body in Christ.

We engage, therefore, by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive together for the advancement of this Church, in knowledge, holiness, and joy; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to help sustain its true worship of God, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.

We also engage to maintain family and private devotions; to educate our children in the true knowledge of Jesus Christ; to earnestly seek the salvation of our relatives and acquaintances; to conduct ourselves circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our behaviour; to avoid all gossip, back-biting, and excessive anger; to abstain from gambling, the use of destructive drugs, drunkenness, and all forms of sexual immorality; to practice genuine repentance toward all known sin in our lives; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the Kingdom of our Savior.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, and always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.

Moreover, we engage that when we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other Church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of Gods Word.

History HISTORYFirst Baptist Church of Williams Lake began in 1960 as a mission of Ridgecrest Baptist Church, of Kamloops, BC, a Church belonging to the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists. The Church began meeting in the Masonic Hall with Art Belyea conducting services until the arrival of the first pastor. (Art also served as interim pastor several times over the years when the Church was between pastors. He passed away in 2009.) Billy Heath was the first Pastor of First Baptist Church, arriving in October of 1960. Our present building was constructed in 1963 and First Baptist Church of Williams Lake was constituted on October 19th of 1963 and was also part of the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists. Rev. Heath stayed until 1968 and was followed by Lee Brock who stayed for four years. Bill Goebel arrived later in 1972. During his time here the building underwent renovation, with an enlarged foyer and addition to the basement. Rev. Goebel remained as Pastor of First Baptist Church until 1985 when he left to pursue further education. Don Miller came in early 1983 and stayed for two years. This was followed by a lengthy time without a pastor and our Church was led by Art Belyea until the arrival of Randy Lowe in 1990. Rev. Lowe (now Dr. Lowe) brought the Church congregation through doctrinal reform and back to the Reformed truths which emphasize Gods sovereignty in salvation. During his time, First Baptist Church celebrated twenty-five years of ministry in the building on Carson and Western on October 16th of 1988. Rev. Lowe also led the Church in an extensive renovation project. He remained as Pastor of First Baptist Church for ten years. He was followed by Fred Eaton who followed Rev. Lowes teaching. However Fred stayed for only a short time. After Fred left the pulpit was filled by various preachers, including present pastor, Darrin Lauder. Darrin came in February of 2002, first as an interim pastor, but he was voted in as permanent Pastor in June of the same year. He was ordained according to The Abstract of Principles in March of 2003 and has been with First Baptist Church since then. He continued and furthered Ecclesiastical reform in Church polity of elder rule. During this time revisions to our Church Constitution were begun, aligning us more to our practice and what Scripture teaches. With change often comes difficulty and this has been no different for our assembly. In the fall of 2005 the First Baptist Church voted unanimously to leave the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists since they objected to our practice of elder rule and Church discipline, and we have been an independent Church since then. Even though there have been difficulties, some of the fruit of this has been the two books: Spiritual Warfare and satans schemes, and Spiritual Warfare and devilish devices. Both of these are written in a devotional format, dealing with spiritual warfare and particularly with the fact that it is primarily relational. Their content was largely gleaned from what has been learned and attempted to be taught. A third book, The Heart of Spiritual Warfare, is soon to be published. This book deals with matters such as faith, apostasy and perseverance and gives practical teaching on these. A twelve-part Church series has been developed which contains teaching on all aspects of Church life.God has taught us many things this past eight years and has been pleased to allow our congregation to accomplish many things as well. There have been times though when reaching this milestone of fifty years seemed to hang in the balance. During some of the time Pastor Darrin has had to take outside work because the Church was unable to pay him a salary. We are very thankful to the Lord for recent blessings which have enabled the restoration of his salary. Our Church has had the opportunity to hold regular Free Stores, a ministry to help the poor of Williams Lake by providing free clothing, bedding and toys. The community of Williams Lake has been of invaluable help in this ministry. In keeping with the philosophy of the Free Store, we also maintain a Food Bank in order to offer help on an ongoing basis. A website has been constructed and can be viewed at www.wlbaptist.com containing transcribed sermons, audio sermons, newsletters, the Gospel In series, as well as other information about the Church. A monthly newsletter has been distributed through various businesses in Williams Lake since January of 2004, containing articles on Doctrine, the Gospel in various books of the Bible as well as other articles and quotes from great Christian saints. The businesses that display the newsletter are: Flavors, the two Tim Hortons locations, Sams, KFC, Book Bin, Husky, Eddys, Karens, Scrub ur Duds, Alley Katz, Santa Fe, Hong Sheng, and the two Subway locations. The support of these businesses is greatly appreciated. Several conferences with Kimberley Morrison have been held, which were a blessing to many women both from First Baptist as well as other churches. A womens retreat at Bowen Island in July of 2009 was a highlight for the women of our Church. A new Church van was donated in memorial of Burton Taylor by the late Ernie and Becky Taylor of Taylor Automotive. We are thankful to be able to provide transportation for our seniors as well as those with limited mobility. A chair lift which was already in the building offers further assistance to these.Other new things include: a new Logo, new Chorus books, a growing Psalter booklet being used in worship, First Baptist cards for all occasions, a weekly Pastors Corner on the back of the bulletin along with six-month editions of these in booklet format, bookmarks, and even guitars for Sunday evening worship (a miraculous thing indeed!) The 50th Anniversary of First Baptist Church was celebrated with another Free Store on June 12th. Our Tree Planting Ceremony on July 17th is adding three trees to the landscape of our Church. The trees will be representing: the City of Williams Lake, the Christian community of Williams Lake, and our assembly. Two crosses added to the top The Little Church on the Hill proclaim Christ to the entire city. Finally we are pleased to be able to celebrate with pastor/musician Glenn Kaiser on the weekend of August 13th to 15th. Glenn will be speaking at First Baptist Church on Friday evening, giving a concert in Boitanio Park on Saturday afternoon and participating in the worship services at Fist Baptist Church on Sunday. All are extended a warm invitation to join us in celebrating 50 years of service to Christ and the community of Williams Lake.

Covenant
History

Contact

If you wish to contact us by email, please use the following form. We look forward to hearing from you.

Books

Rev. Darrin Lauder was led of the Lord to a street ministry in Calgary, Alberta after being saved from drugs and alcohol in the early 90's. He first preached there and believed the Lord had called him to enter ministry full-time as a pastor. He did his schooling at Toronto Baptist Bible College and Seminary and interned at the historic Jarvis St. Baptist Church (1998-2001). After a short stint in Thunder Bay, Ontario the Lord moved him to Williams Lake, BC where he has been the pastor at First Baptist Church since February 2002. He was ordained in March of 2003 according to 'The Abstract of Principles'.

Books by Rev. Lauder:

Spiritual Warfare and satan's schemes

Spiritual Warfare and devilish devices

The Heart of Spiritual Warfare

These books can be purchased at:

Cariboo Book Bin,

35A 1st Ave. Williams Lake, BC,

250-392-7079

Regent Bookstore,

5800 University Blvd. Vancouver BC,

1-800-334-3279, 604-228-1820

House of James,

2743 Emerson St. Abbotsford, BC,

604-852-3701

www.amazon.ca

www.authorhouse.com

Aspects of the Gospel in the Former & Latter Prophets

Peace in the Father's House

These books can be purchased by contacting us by email on this site.

Page 1

Spiritual Warfare

satan's schemes

We have lost sight in the Church of what the apostles saw so clearly. This loss has resulted in an advantage given that would not be if spiritual warfare was seen in light of the devil's designs fostered through relational breakdown.

To quote the apostle Paul: "in order that no advantage be taken of us by satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes" (2 Cor. 2:11 NASB). It was largely this text that the Lord has used to move this author to reflection and recording what has been his own relational experience.

It was Jonathan Edwards who said to the effect that true Theology ought to be proven in the arena of life's experience. This little book, although initially intended for the equipping of the congregation by means of regular devotional meditations, is written with a view to passing on what Scripture says and experiential exegesis has found to be true concerning the wiles of the devil.

Page 2

Spiritual Warfare

devilish devices

The Lord God who made the heavens and the earth and whose providence governs His creation enables His servants through insight and experience to record and pass on what they have found to be true. Such revelation is intended to benefit those who believe and receive the truth as it is in God sovereign rule and reign. This little book combines personal experience and biblical reflection to present scenarios and situations that the enemy of mankind's soul uses to further his destructive ways.

Spiritual warfare impacts all on planet earth and yet relatively few grasp this. Even less battle effectively in this crucial aspect of our fallen world. This book endeavors to present truth that will help guard and guide those who believe such evil exists. It further seeks to bridge the category of spiritual warfare with other central tenets and important doctrines of the Christian faith as recorded in the Holy Bible.

Page 3

The Heart of Spiritual Warfare

In a time when books on spiritual warfare are either fictional or tend toward fanaticism, this book is so refreshing. It handles spiritual warfare in a biblical and practical way. It explains that spiritual warfare is an integral part of the biblical story. It also shows how spiritual warfare is an integral part of our daily Christian walk. Rev. Lauder demonstrates, in this book, that spiritual warfare is not some peripheral doctrine that the Christian can ignore or minimize. It is an essential part of every Christian's life.

Rev. Lauder is especially qualified to write a book on the topic of spiritual warfare. He is qualified because he lives it. I have known the author for a number of years and I have seen him struggle against principalities and powers through prayer, a life of personal integrity, and through the preaching of the gospel. In his desire to advance the Kingdom of God he has come under enemy attack. His experience comes through on the pages of this book, and we, the readers, benefit greatly from it.

Pastor Al Kenitz

Reformed Baptist Church

of Kalamazoo

Cover picture compiled using images from karenswhimsy.com along with additional input and ideas from Darlene Lakatos and Sarah Hermsen

Page 4

A spects of the Gospel in t

he Former and Latter Prophets

The Gospel or good news of salvation is a proclamation of the Kingdom of God and particularly the King’s coming. The prophets of the Old Testament bore witness of both the King and His Kingdom as fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. This book of short summaries seeks to distill aspects of the Gospel that relate to Jesus Christ and His salvation regarding His work and Person. The whole of Scripture is to be read with Christ as the centerpiece. This means that the prophets of old often prophesied, or in their foretelling His coming, salvation and return was latent within their immediate forthtelling.

These prophets are defined in different terms. Some designate the larger writings of Isaiah, Jeremiah/Lamentations, Ezekiel and include Daniel as the ‘Major Prophets’ and Hosea through Malachi, otherwise known as the book of the 12, as the ‘Minor Prophets’. This is a classic English or Western designation but is not as helpful, as it implies the former are more important then the latter. The Hebrew Bible made the designation ‘Former’ and ‘Latter’ Prophets whereby Joshua, Judges, and the books of Samuel and Kings constitute the Former. The Latter encompass all of what are defined the so called ‘Major’ and ‘Minor’ Prophets. This book is a compilation of articles written initially with the English or Western idea in mind but later incorporated the Hebrew Bible designation as Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings were completed.

The Old Testament comes alive when the prophetic seedbed is exposed as aspects of the Gospel. Seeing Christ in all the Scripture is not only helpful, it is the only way to read aright what God spoke through His messengers of old. Rich theological and interpretive elements are scattered through out and we hope this book helps to bring those to light.

Page 5

Peace in the Father's House

This book is a compilation of various biblical subjects and themes that are intricately tied to the redemptive story or His-story of salvation. It begins where the Bible does and posits God’s shalom or peace at the outset of creation. It asserts that redemptive history in the Bible is in large part the recovery of the peace lost in paradise.

The chapters each deal with an aspect of the title of the book and following the theme of peace is the doctrine of God as Father. Subsequently is the chapter on the house or household in which the author moves to the new covenant reality of adoption and sonship in Christ. Finally the book concludes with an overview and the biblical example of the epistles of Peter as a fitting illustration of how the themes and doctrine are woven together by the apostle in such a way so as to show the thesis of how peace, God and His house/household tie together to tell the Gospel story.

The Gospel story needs to be told again and again and this book does precisely that in a theological yet simple way that helps illuminate the overarching narrative of the Bible. It helps to knit together important biblical concepts and plainly unfold how God saves and draws His people into the family or household of Him who is both Creator and Savior. It broaches the individual forgiveness of sin to the eschatological renewal of the cosmos. In short, it moves from creation to new creation and retells the Gospel of reconciliation in terms of the recovery of peace – God’s shalom.

Content copyright First Baptist Church of Williams Lake. All rights reserved.newsletterArchivesThe Gospel InThe PentateuchThe Former ProphetsHistoryWisdomThe Latter ProphetsThe GospelsLettersRevelationAppendixNewsletters2004 NewslettersJanuary 2004February 2004March 2004April 2004May 2004June 2004July 2004August 2004September 2004October 2004November 2004December 20042005 NewslettersJanuary 2005February 2005March 2005April 2005May 2005June 2005July 2005August 2005September 2005December 20052006 NewslettersMarch 2006June 2006September 2006December 20062007 NewslettersJanuary 2007February 2007March 2007April 2007May 2007June 2007July 2007September 2007October 2007November 2007December 20072008 NewslettersJanuary 2008February 2008March 2008April 2008May 2008June 2008July 2008August 2008September 2008October 2008November 2008December 20082009 NewslettersJanuary 2009February 2009March 2009April 2009May 2009June 2009July 2009August 2009September 2009October 2009November 2009December 20092010 NewslettersJanuary 2010February 2010March 2010April 2010May 2010June 2010July 2010August 2010September 2010October 2010November 2010December 20102011 NewslettersJanuary 2011February 2011March 2011April 2011May 2011June 2011July 2011August 2011September 2011October 2011November 2011December 20112012 NewslettersJanuary 2012Parsons Pen