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An End--And A Beginning

Commissioning 3

This past Sunday, Palm Sunday, was bittersweet for everyone at Calvary Grace Church and the new Grace Church of Cochrane. Motions were passed, tears were shed, hands were laid, and God was praised. Here's a look at what happened.

Grace Church of Cochrane's Inaugural Meeting

During the Sunday School hour, prior to Calvary Grace's main service, the nine families making up the Cochrane Mission Team gathered in Calvary Grace's Luther Hall, with Calvary Grace's elders, for a business meeting.



Clint Humfrey, Senior Pastor of Calvary Grace Church, led the meeting. The members of the Cochrane Mission Team offered their resignations from membership at Calvary Grace, which were accepted by the Elders, and then voted to form a new congregation called Grace Church of Cochrane.



The agenda for the meeting was long, but it went quickly! Here are some of the high points. Jeff Jones was nominated by the Calvary Grace Elders, and called by Grace Church, as its founding pastor. The new church also requested that Calvary Grace's Elder Board act temporarily as elders alongside Jeff until a plurality of elders is established in Cochrane. Andrew Davis was put forward as a nominee to be a second Elder at Grace Church, starting a congregational review process that will last three weeks. Frank Evans was called as Grace Church's inaugural Deacon. Jeff delivered a letter to Paul Toews, Chairman of Calvary Grace's Board of Elders, resigning as an Elder at Calvary Grace. Finally, Clint and Jeff signed papers establishing an agreement between Calvary Grace and Grace Church to cooperate and appointing Jeff as Calvary Grace Church's Home Missionary to Cochrane.



The meeting ended with the new members of Grace Church of Cochrane signing the new church's Gospel Partnership Covenant, a document laying out our commitment and our promises to one another as members.



Commissioning Service

The main worship service started with a special moment...



Calvary Grace's Sunday School teachers arranged for all the kids, those staying and those going, to sing together to open the main service.



Pastor Clint preached a moving sermon, "The Cry of the Rockies" from Luke 19:28-40, charging the new church, and Calvary Grace, to rejoice at and proclaim Jesus Christ lest, as our Lord put it, "the very stones would cry out." He then called Calvary Grace's elders and the congregation of Grace Church to the front, where they laid hands on Jeff and prayed for the new church.



After Jeff closed the service with his final benediction to Calvary Grace, everyone lined up to say their farewells and pledge their prayers to those leaving with the new church.



Our Official Launch is This Sunday!

Grace Church of Cochrane will, this Resurrection Sunday, hold its first official service! Pray for us and for those God brings to hear his Word!