Dear Friends of the Re-build,

TAC is moving worship service location! For some months now we have been waiting for movement on one of several properties in Parkdale that would be suitable as a base for our ministries if God would choose to release them to us. The Catholic and Presbyterian churches we have been in touch with have both, so far, declined from putting their properties up for sale, and no other established church location has been placed on the market.

However, a conversation with the Presbyterian church that started again this past fall has culminated now in their agreeing to rent their facilities to us on Sunday afternoons from 1:00-5:00 pm for our Sunday service and Sunday School ministries. So praise the Lord! We now plan to shift our main Sunday services to this Parkdale location starting in May 2018.

Where is Parkdale? Parkdale is just 2 km down the road from where we are located at present. Toronto has been described as a series of villages; Parkdale is a different village altogether from where we are at present. We have been doing evangelistic outreach in that community for as long as we have rented our present place. Ministries there, particularly among children and youth, have been very fruitful. We have long felt that we should be rooted in that community. It is highly international in its flavour and definitely a major centre for poverty in the downtown of Toronto. What also makes Parkdale significant is that this is where the C&MA began in Canada; Parkdale and along University Avenue – it takes us back to our first steps as a family of churches.

What is the advantage of moving worship services down the road? First, we are hoping to gather into worship many who live there whom we have already introduced to Jesus. Second, our presence there as a worshipping community allows us to do much more in evangelism through our weekly services. Third, by moving worship services we are leaning strategically into the vision we feel God has given us. Fourth, being in a large building allows us to bring multiple worship services into one and thus build unity for what is going to be significant growth in ministry.

Are you still hoping to purchase a building for your church? Yes, we are indeed still wishing to purchase. Many have given toward a building purchase and that fund continues to grow. We believe that God has a building for us in that community that will serve as:

Hub for various church plants and ministries in the downtown
Training centre for urban Christian workers
The catalyst for those seeking front line work among the needy
Home for Toronto Alliance Church.

Though we have been in conversation with some over the sale of their building, none has yet been willing to actually do it. We simply wait for God’s timing in that and press on with the work of ministry in the meantime.

What will you do with the place you are presently renting? We are holding onto our place at Queen and Bathurst. That is where many of our outreaches happen through the course of the week; outreaches to the poor, internationals and other community people. Our offices are still there as well, in addition to being a ministry centre for prayer meetings, ministry training, drop-in centre, and all other church meetings. Everything outside of Sunday morning continues to happen at our rented location at Queen and Bathurst. In the long run, these ministries would largely shift as well to Parkdale but not before we have a building of our own. We do however hope to maintain a presence and outreach at Queen and Bathurst over the long run.

Join us for Opening Services and Reception after worship service on May 6th, 2018 at 2:00 pm at Bonar Parkdale Presbyterian Church, 250 Dunn Ave, Toronto, ON.

Thank you for standing with us in this vision. May God bless you for your faithfulness.

Bill Dyck, pastor