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Life Church White Rock is a Christian, interdenominational, protestant church located in White Rock, British Columbia at the address 2265 152nd street. The congregation and everyone willing is welcome to come for coffee and treats at 10am, as well as worship and the word at 10:30am.

History
Life Church White Rock, originally known as the White Rock Evangelistic Tabernacle, began meeting in a small community hall under the leadership of retired missionaries Ted and Mary Johnston. Verne and Marge Wilson began pastoring the church in 1967 and were joined by John and Lyza Clarke in 1972. John and Lyza served as Verne and Marge's associate pastor for eighteen years and have served as senior pastor since Verne's death in 1991. The church moved across the street in 1981 to their present facility and was officially renamed White Rock Christian Fellowship.

Over the years the pastoral staff has included Mel and Betty Cooley, Dave and Tomana McTaggart, Ryoichi and Lydia Takeda, Mike and Ev Schroeder, and Burt and Marilyn Dumerton. Three of these couples now pastor churches planted from Life Church (at that time, White Rock Christian Fellowship). From outside of the church they have received influential guidance from a number of dedicated men in the past including Bob Birch, Ern Baxter, Les Pritchard and more recently, Dick Iverson, of Ministers Fellowship International. all Life Church pastors receive their pastoral covering from MFI. These men have enriched the leadership and congregation with their wisdom and insight in many areas.

The first home fellowship groups began in the 70's, a radical concept at the time, and these groups eventually developed into life groups - a central focus of church life, discipleship, and pastoral care.

In the early 1980's the church began a Christian school with only four teenagers. White Rock Christian Academy has since become recognized as an institution promoting spiritual, academic, musical and athletic excellence with an enrollment of over 330 students.

Marvin and Ilene Fast, long-term missionaries in Japan, made White Rock their home base and were instrumental in building the missions program. The church continues to support a number of missionary works with whom they have ongoing relationships.

Previous
Their first pastor was Pastor Verne Wilson, who helped the church grow from a small gathering of people to a large gathering worshipers. During his time the church moved to 2265 152nd street from the small building just across the street. This happened when the leadership decided to start a Christian school (White Rock Christian Academy) which is still housed by the church building, but no longer a single connected entity. Pastor Verne Wilson is posthumously remembered with fond memories.

Their second pastor was Pastor John Clarke, who became senior pastor when Pastor Verne passed away. He wrote two inspirational books "The Inheritance" and "You Needed Me." During his time as senior pastor the church grew and planted several more churches (who have also planted several churches), including one church in Nagoya, Japan. He retired to become "Senior Pastor Emeritus," and he now works at the church and also sails the seas booking charters on his 50 foot sailboat "The Porpoise."

Current
Their third pastor is Pastor Jeff Young, who became senior pastor in 2007 after being Youth Pastor of White Rock Christian Fellowship's youth ministry "Oxygen Ministries." When he became pastor he discussed with the other church leaders and those in the congregation, and decided that the vision for the church was to be a church that truly has life, and helps bring it those those around us. Thus the name of the church changed from White Rock Christian Fellowship to Life Church White Rock. In one of his first sermons as senior pastor he coined the phrase "Get it, live it, and give it" referring to "life." This has since become the churches slogan or mission statement.

Get It, Live It, Give It
This quote from Pastor Jeff Young was found on the Life Church White Rock Website

"Jesus said that the whole reason that he came is so that he could bring eternal real life to us. Bigger and better than any other life that we could try to find. We GET IT from God, we get that life. We LIVE IT with each other in authentic community with each other, and we GIVE IT any way that we can to all the people that are around us. We Get It, Live It, and Give It." Click to See the Video

Core Values
These core values were found at the Life Church White Rock Website


 * A Place For His Presence | Psalm 132:5
 * "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people." Mark 11:17


 * Truth in the Innermost Being | Psalm 51:6
 * "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints" Ephesians 1:18


 * The Community of the Cross | Ephesians 2:16
 * "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." John 17:20,21


 * A Blessing To Our City | Jeremiah 29:7
 * "And in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed" Genesis 12:3


 * The Shepherd's Heart | John 10:11
 * "Pray the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest fields." Matthew 9:38

Statement of Faith
This Statement of Faith was found on the Life Church White Rock Website

WE BELIEVE IN:
 * 1. One God, the Creator of heaven and earth, revealed as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
 * 2. Jesus Christ the saviour of men, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, very God and very man.
 * 3. The sovereignty and grace of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in creation, providence, revelation, redemption and final judgment.
 * 4. The divine inspiration of the Bible, comprised of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, and its trustworthiness and supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
 * 5. The creation, test and fall of man, his total spiritual depravity and inability to attain divine righteousness.
 * 6. That Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scripture.
 * 7. Christ's substitutionary death as the sole ground of our salvation.
 * 8. Repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, which will produce a sanctified vessel and separation from the life of sin. This sanctification, which is accomplished through being filled with the Holy Spirit, is both a distinct event and progressive experience in the life of every believer.
 * 9. The ordinance of water baptism (for believers) by immersion.
 * 10. The ordinance of the Lord's supper for believers.
 * 11. The baptism with the Holy Spirit.
 * 12. That God provided marriage as the union between one man and one woman who enter into a lifelong relationship through a marriage ceremony which is recognized by the church.
 * 13. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, as enumerated in I Corinthians Chapters 12 - 14.
 * 14. The experience of divine healing.
 * 15. The eternal life of the believer, and the eternal separation from God of the unbeliever.
 * 16. The one universal church, the body of Christ and her local expressions, local churches.
 * 17. The reality and personality of Satan.
 * 18. The bodily Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ to heaven, His enthronement, and His personal and visible return for His church.

Church on the Beach
In 2005 the leadership decided to annually move the church to the beach for most, or all of the Sundays in July. Church would be the same as when the congregation meets at 2265 152nd street, with worship, a sermon, and coffee. Only, now it would be on White Rock Beach near the white rock, under the sun and overlooking the ocean. Local restaurants on the beach would graciously provide samples of food to be consumed by hungry churchgoers.

Host of...
Life Church is host to many separate ministries including...
 * White Rock Christian Academy
 * Bikers Church White Rock
 * Faith Hope and Love - Chinese Church
 * White Rock Healing Room
 * Freedom Session