Fondness for the Body of Christ

As the famous anonymous writer once said, "You never know what you have 'til it's gone..." the same is true with every part of our lives.  For myself, as I moved an entire landmass away from my family, friends, church and everything familiar, I started noticing big differences between what was at home and where I am living.  Back home in Coquitlam I lived in a suburb, a ten minute walk down to the mall.  Here on the outskirts of Crofton I live in a small town, a ten minute walk down to the ocean.  The atmosphere is more relaxed here on the island, you don't constantly here traffic.  The pollution is from the pulp mill instead of the myriad of imported cars.  I do quite like the difference of being in a completely different  ambiance, it just makes me miss and appreciate the different qualities of home.
In particular, after taking our class on Church Ministry and serving for the past few months at Warmland Community Church, it has made me appreciate my amazing church back home.
The church I attend back home in Coquitlam is called Coquitlam Alliance Church, right across the street from my old high school and a two minute drive from my house.   There are many things which I have come to gain a new respect and love for at my church, such as the leadership team.  My church is pastored by Mark Francisco, the Lead Pastor, Cam Huth, the Executive Pastor, David Wood, the Senior Assistant Pastor, and Chris Throness, the Young Adults Pastor.  I have gained a new respect as they are at the forefront of ministry at CAC and pastor the flock which God has given them.  There is such a huge responsibility for the leaders of the church to lead their church under Christ, the way that he intends the church to live, and they have done a phenomenal job. 
One thing I really appreciate about CAC is that it stands on solid doctrine and theology.  The mission of Coquitlam Alliance is to "help seekers and believers become fully devoted followers of Jesus," and that's what we do.  My church tries to mirror the first church of believers in Acts.  Pastor Mark and David do not shy away from preaching about difficult topics, but rather, what the Bible talks about, they talk about.  In all circumstances and situations, the final authority for the church is from the Word of God.  CAC holds unity, prayer, joy, excellence, freedom, faith, love, mission, giving and missions in high regard as the values of the church. 
Out of the solid doctrine and theology comes the life of the church.  Everything in CAC revolves around the purpose statement, "We at Coquitlam Alliance will worship God by loving Him and those around us. We will reach out to people, invite them into God’s family, equip them to be like Jesus, and send them out to serve in their community and around the world."  The church knows that it will have differences amongst the members, but we don't let it divide us.  It's so encouraging for me to see all of the members in the church, no matter what skill level, spiritual maturity or age, using their gifts to glorify God and build up the church.  There are no unnecessary traditions that I can think of in my church that exist simply because they have existed for decades.  Everything is relevant to the purposes and needs of the church to reach the world and disciple believers.  In Coquitlam Alliance, there is a huge emphasis on baptism and we make quite a large (and wonderful) ordeal of having celebration services so the entire community can celebrate with the person's declaration of commitment to Christ. 
The attenders of CAC have a huge heart for giving and a heart to reach everyone in every walk of life with as many ministries as are needed.  From anything from adults, young adults, youth, children, and connecting with non-believers to creative arts, life groups, local outreach, missions, mulitsites, prayer and worship, I commend my church for being so involved in people's lives.  My church encourages the members to give back and get involved by serving each other with their time.  I've served with a number of ministries in my church, getting a firsthand experience of what it is like to be a part of the body of Christ. There is a huge portion of the budget that goes towards missions, and the members of the church give generously and willingly.  Once I attended a budget meeting with my dad and my eyes were opened to how my church operates, and what the church is doing with the money that God has entrusted to them. 
In everything Coquitlam Alliance does, we recognize the heart of Christ for others, and reflect that in our practices and values.  One thing that really makes me proud of my church is how many broken and lonely people attend our church because they know they will be safe and accepted.  There is a huge group of men that come every Sunday to church from a Christian drugs and alcohol recovery program called Resurrection House.  Seeing them in the very front pews with their hands raised, surrendering their lives to Christ makes my heart jump for joy.  Nothing is more rewarding than to watch the testimony of one these broken individuals tell of their story of coming to faith and mentioning the fact that this was instrumental in bringing them back to Christ, a place where they could seek forgiveness without being judged.
All my reflection on my church has made me extremely proud of the body of Christ that I call home.  Coquitlam Alliance Church has shaped me into the young woman I have become today, and it is by the grace of God that I will continue serving and giving back to that church body and hopefully impact more people in the same way I was. 
"No one has ever seen God.  But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us." -1 John 4:12
"Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." -John 13:35