Speaker: Vince Klassen

There’s one thing in life that ranks right up there with death and taxes - change.

This past week we shared that Friends Church will be changing too, with Jeff stepping away to pursue a new career managing a golf resort (fun fact: his formal training is actually in Turf Management!).

So what do we do with change—especially when it’s not the change we wanted? How do we make peace with it, or even grow from it? How do we navigate it when everything in us says its wrong?

This Sunday wraps up our Bible: Much Assembly Required series. Throughout this journey, we’ve invited us all to rethink how we see the Bible—and that's a big change for many of us.

But with the right mental framing, hard changes can often get a little easier - both changes in how we view the Bible and in how we navigate change in our lives.

Join us as we close out this incredible series with practical insights from both our spiritual ancestors and modern research on how to navigate change well.

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This week we announced the resignation of one of our Lead Pastors - Jeff Jarvis.

We spent some time learning what is next for Jeff and his family and where Friends Church 2.0 came from.

Finally, we looked at the core of Friends Church found in each of us that calls it home.

Please see below the letter from our Board Chairperson and Jeff's letter of Resignation.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Here's to the next chapter of the Friends Church story

-Vince

vince@friendschurch.ca

or

chair@friendschurch.ca

Friends Church Community
It is with mixed emotions that we, the Board, have accepted Jeff's resignation. You can see his note below. As one of the founding pastors of Friends Church we are all deeply indebted to the Water he has Taken to us all as he’s inspired our unique spiritual journeys.
Jeff and Vince will announce his resignation this Sunday so be sure to attend to hear about his new opportunity and how he plans to integrate that with his own unique spirituality. Vince and our team will work with him over the next few months to transition him well. His final day will be January 25th, and we will have a community lunch after the service so we can all say our goodbyes.
Know that Vince and the Board are committed to the health and sustainability of Friends Church going forward. Like you, we don't fit church, and we believe in our core that the world needs a Friends Church - we need a Friends Church - going forward. Things won’t change much other than we won’t have Jeff around, but we will still do everything we can to inspire you all to a healthy spirituality that Takes Water to the world! That’s our commitment to you!
Thanks all. Please reach out to Vince or myself with any questions or concerns.
Brad Brewster
Board Chairperson, Friends Church
___________________________________________________________________________

To the Board Members of Friends Church,
With mixed emotions, I’m tendering my resignation as Co-Lead Pastor of Friends Church.
It’s hard to believe it’s been over 28 years since Cathy and I, along with a few close friends, launched this community. Over those years, we’ve witnessed countless stories of spiritual growth and life transformation. We’re so proud to have been part of it all, which makes this decision bittersweet.
I’ve recently accepted a position as General Manager of a golf course and RV resort in Sundre — an opportunity that will allow Cathy and I to work and play together in this next season of life. Though we’re sad to say goodbye to Friends Church, this is an opportunity that we’re very excited about.
After thoughtful discussion with Vince, I’m planning for my final Sunday to be January 25th, allowing time for a smooth transition and the chance to say goodbye to so many dear friends and volunteers.
Though I won’t be around in person, I’ll continue to tune in online and carry the spirit of Taking Water wherever I go. I’ll also support Friends Church in any way I can…because the world needs a Friends Church!
Thank you for the incredible privilege of serving alongside you all. It’s been one of the greatest honours and joys of my life.
With gratitude and love,
Jeff

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Through this series, we’re taking an honest look at the Bible. So far, we’ve set aside our assumptions and begun seeing it as a Wisdom text rather than an owner’s manual—one that honors its Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse origins. This week, we’ll focus on the Bible’s Diversity and explore a key question: what does it really mean for the Bible to be “inspired by God”? Does the Bible claim that for itself? And if not, how might that change how we see and value it in our lives?

Join us this week as we continue reconstructing our understandings of the Bible.

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Many of us grew up in faith traditions that took the Bible’s rules very seriously. For some, breaking one meant rejection or judgment — sometimes even exile from family or community. Some biblical laws still seem to make deep sense today. Others… not so much.

So how do we tell the difference in 2025? Can we really choose which spiritual laws still apply?

Join us this Sunday as we wrestle with these honest questions and explore what wise, compassionate faith looks like in our world today.

Bring a friend — you won’t want to miss this one.

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Many pick up the Bible expecting a rulebook or instruction manual for life—only to be puzzled by its ancient language, strange stories, and even some contradictions.

This week at Friends, we’re exploring why this “Instruction Manual” expectation of the Bible can create problems. Instead, we want to show you a way of using it that actually works: not by giving us ready-made answers, but by training us to read the moments we’re in to discern real wisdom for today.

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The Bible has been called many things:

• The Word of God.
• Inspired scripture.
• A holy book.
• An owner’s manual for life.
• A roadmap.
• A moral compass.
• A revelation of Jesus Christ.
• God’s self-disclosure.

But these are all ideas—metaphors.

• So what is the Bible, physically?
• Where did it come from?
• What is it made of?
• How did it become the book we hold today?

This week we launch a new series: The Bible: Much Assembly Required. We’ll start by unpacking what the Bible actually is, so we can begin building (or rebuilding) a vision of it that has the power to change lives.

Join us as we set the stage for a fresh, exciting conversation about the Bible.

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To donate to this podcast and support the making of more of these please visit https://friendschurch.ca/podcast

At Friends Church, our mission is simple: to inspire us to Take Water to our world. One way we can Take Water is to Love our Neighbours in ways that truly make life better for them and us.

That’s easy when people look, think, and live like us. But most of the world doesn’t. And if we’re going to love our neighbours well, we need to know them—what they need, what they value, and what love looks like to them.

This Sunday we are going to meet a member of our community that is Trans and identifies as Non-binary meaning they might identify as one of the 2 main genders - male or female - but most often don’t identify with either.

We want to get to known their unique experience so we can learn to love them, and many like them, more skillfully.

Join us this week for a mind opening perspective on the world from someone who transitioned while staying married. Its a love story on so many levels.

Bring a friend and join us in the Gym this Sunday.

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Speaker: Jeff Jarvis

Over the years, I’ve heard countless explanations of spirituality—and honestly, I’ve become a bit skeptical when the word is thrown around too loosely. When it can mean anything, it starts to feel like it means nothing.

At Friends Church, we believe spirituality should be more than a vague idea. We’re passionate about what we call healthy spirituality—a way of living that actually refreshes your soul and brings life to the world around you, like water soaking into dry ground. It’s not just about feeling better; it’s connected to something bigger, deeper, and more meaningful in our world.

This Sunday, I want to unpack where this idea of healthy spirituality comes from—and how you can start cultivating it in your own life.

Bring a friend and join us in the Gym this Sunday.

Donate to Friends Church

To donate to this podcast and support the making of more of these please visit https://friendschurch.ca/podcast