Together, We Act.

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. Romans 8:19.

Creation itself, the very earth beneath our feet, the skies above, and all that lives within it, is watching and waiting. It waits with anticipation, with a kind of hopeful longing, for something profound to be revealed. Creation is holding its breath in hope. 

What is Creation waiting for? Creation is waiting for the children of God—for us—to be revealed. Creation, our mother, is groaning, and waiting, in hopes that we would step into the light and become who we are called to be.

This calling does not require us to be heroes, but it does ask us to show up, sometimes in mundane ways and sometimes in heroic ways, and be present to what is happening around us. We are called to listen to the groaning of Creation, including our own. We wrestle with the complexities and search out what might be a just and generous response. And then, we act. We extend ourselves in ways that support the mutual thriving of life on Earth. In doing so, we are collaborating with God and Creation, participating in God’s ongoing renewal of the Earth.

Each of us has a sphere of influence, a place where we can make a difference, however small it may seem. And it is through these small acts, multiplied over time and across communities, that transformation happens. It might be slow. It might come in fits and starts. But change is possible. And your actions, no matter how small, make a difference.

“People who live in hope do not seek to shield themselves from the pains and problems of this life. They engage the trouble, and thereby demonstrate that hope grows, and its meaning is more fully discovered, in the action of working for a better world. The most important matter is not that people have a fully worked out picture of what a better world looks like, or have a clear sense of the exact form their action should take. It is, with humility, to act on the conviction that your world needs you and is calling you to contribute in some way.” 

—Norman Wirzba (article here) 

Deep peace and blessing,

Anne

Rev. Anne Baxter Smith
Pastor, Southpoint Church

Sun Sep 15
(3) Together, We Learn 
 Is 11:1-9 Jodi Spargur

Sun Sep 22
(4) Together, We Care 
ALL In service

Sun Sep 29
(5) Together, We Heal
All OUT service: No gathering at the Sunnyside building!

Sun Oct 6 — St Francis Sunday
(6) Together, We Love
Gen 2: 1-9 Krista Boyes

New to Southpoint?

At Southpoint, it all begins with God’s love. Just as a plant grows, it receives sunshine, so we grow as we receive God’s love. At Southpoint, we are growing in our capacity to love God, ourselves, one another, and Creation.

We seek to be a community of grace that is intentional yet organic, spacious yet authentic, grace-filled yet accountable. * We are fully welcoming. *

We encourage relationships rather than run programs, yet we recognize the importance of intentionality and structure as we nurture life together.

As a community, we seek to put our love in action. We value helping out on Sunday mornings, sharing food, and showing up in hard times. We keep our church life simple so folk have time to build relationships with family, friends, and neighbours. We encourage folk to serve in tangible ways within the wider community. We rent space rather than own a building, allowing us to do more with less, supporting missions at home and abroad.

Curious to know more?

These six slides express what motivates our ministry (best viewed on a monitor). Here’s the bio of our Pastor, Rev. Anne Baxter Smith.

If you’d like to really peek inside, sign up for our weekly Southpoint News (scroll to brown footer at bottom of page). The Southpoint News is a MailChimp distributed email—you can unsubscribe anytime and will not be added to our contacts list. Email us at office@southpoint.ca. Website: southpoint.ca.