Welcome New Members!
This Sunday we’re grateful to receive these good people of faith as members of our church. Membership is a sign of God’s profound grace that reaches out and invites us to be part of the Church. It’s a public demonstration of substantial commitment to the Church of Jesus Christ. We believe that good things happen when we commit to each other and we can’t wait to see what God has in store for us as we journey forward in faith together.
Rivka Van Klei
Last summer, I moved with my parents to Toronto from the Netherlands. In August, my parents found Knox church, and I went along with them. I really liked the church and quickly joined the worship team and a home church, so I decided I wanted to become a member as well.
The aspect of the good news of the Bible that inspires me the most is the fact that there is always someone who will listen to you and who is there for you to give you comfort. There is always someone you can trust and on whom you can build your life.
I've been raised in a Christian home and been to Christian schools, so my faith journey started when I was very young and I have learned a lot over the years! Last year, before I moved to Canada, I decided I wanted to do profession of faith to publicly claim that I am a follower of Jesus.
Pete Nojd
We came to Knox after moving into the downtown core of Toronto. We were looking for a local church and Knox was as local as we could get!
One (of many) aspects of the good news that resonates with me is the unity of believers and the hope for humanity in Christ as expressed in Ephesians 2:11-22, which proclaims that Christ “has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” amongst humankind, “making peace, and reconciling both to God.” It is the hope I carry with me every day to see this realized.
Most recently, I have been reflecting on the place of wilderness in my journey of faith. Moses spent time there and so did Jesus, and for the past 2-3 years, so have I. They are not pleasant experiences, but they are often necessary and have Divine purpose attached to them. My faith has grown of late in embracing the wilderness call and making the most of my time there.
Frances Nojd
We came to Knox at the beginning of 2020. We had just moved to be closer to the neighbourhood Pete was ministering in and were looking for a local church.
An aspect of the good news of the bible that inspires you (ex. God’s pursuit of justice) I am often really drawn to God’s heart for the vulnerable and the marginalized. I think of Matthew 25:10 which says “Whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Our salvation is not dependent on good works and service but caring for those in need is an overflowing of our faith in action.
In 2017 our family went through a number of different things. At 20 weeks pregnant we found out our youngest would be born with a cleft lip and palate. Pete finished his role as youth pastor at a church that had been home for us for the last seven years, was finishing his masters, and would be unemployed for the next six months. We were praying about and tying to discern what was next for us ministry wise. Our youngest was born, we travelled to Sick Kids every 2 weeks, and he had 2 surgeries in 2018. Through it all there were so many tiny details and provisions that made me feel like God saw us in our struggle, in the hard things, and He cared. He is El Roi, the God who sees me in even the tiniest of ways.
