Andrew Klassen – Associate Pastor of Worship/Administration

At West Portal we believe in the importance of gathering together Sunday morning.  Note that if Christians are meant to worship God in every sphere of life, it cannot be worship, as such, that brings them to church.  Have I intrigued you yet?  While corporate worship may express accurately what is involved, the apostle Paul’s emphasis is on coming together to participate in the edification of the church [I Cor. 14:3-5, 12, 17, 26; I Thess. 5:11; Eph. 4:11-16].

Edification is…

• For the body and done by the body [a truly corporate activity]
• God’s work in our midst for we encounter Christ in one another
• Engagement with other believers in the context of mutual ministry, shared prayer and praise
• Encouragement and strengthening of the whole church in a Christ-centered faith, hope, and love

This means everyone has a role to play Sunday morning whether on stage or not.  We are not just a collection of individuals when we gather, we are part of a family under God.

We gather to…

• Keep focused on God’s gracious initiative and work in our lives, congregation and community
• Proclaim and apply biblical truths
• Stimulate and encourage each other to maintain saving faith
• Be inspired to let our faith find practical, everyday expression in our lives

Serving to promote and foster an atmosphere of community praise and worship is my passion.  I’ve been on staff here since the fall of 1997.  In fact I was married within a year of starting to my lovely wife Shawna in this very church.  Since that time God has blessed us with 2 young children [Sarah and Joshua] who continue to stretch [I mean build] both our patience and energy levels.  On the side I enjoy playing floor hockey and help coach an inner city team during the winter months in a league sponsored by Youth For Christ.

If you’d like to get in touch with me you can call me at [306] 382-1622 or e-mail me at worship@westportalchurch.ca