It’s Summer Time
Finally summer is here. The cold months are behind us now. It’s great to see our out of town university kids back in town, back with their families and friends. The students are happy that the exams are over and are looking forward to a fun-filled summer. Some of the students have graduated from University, High School, Elementary or Kindergarten. Congratulations to the graduates, we’re so proud of you. Here at CECC, some of our graduates have also transitioned from Junction youth fellowship to our young adults fellowship, Messengers. We pray for your continuous spiritual growth and maturity. And speaking of summer, it’s a very busy summer for CECC, we have VBS, Softball, Bowling, Connect City partnership, new church board, construction projects.
We hope that through this newsletter, we would be able to share with you what’s going on at CECC. If you have any suggestions, feedback or comments, please email cecc@cecctoronto.com.
Enjoy the summer, as we fellowship and worship together and grow our faith in and love for our Lord Jesus Christ.
June Sermon Recap
To kick off the month, we welcomed Rev. Dr. See Kiat Toh, who spoke about Hagar and her faith to add on to the “Great Cloud of Witnesses” sermon series. The following week, as his first sermon as a pastor at CECC, Pastor Heusen dissected the story of Abraham and Isaac to continue the sermon series with a focus on Isaac’s faith and trust in his father’s God. To celebrate Father’s Day the week after, Pastor Andrew spoke on the importance of acknowledging our need for God’s grace and how doing so can elevate our parenting. The following Sunday, Pastor Andrew analyzed how Caleb’s faith stood strong despite his circumstances and how we can achieve that kind of faith too. Continuing on, Pastor Heusen used the story of Jacob and his wrestling with God. The encouragement is for us to not be afraid to take our questions, frustrations and tears to God as He keeps us in His embrace. You can find the links to the sermon YouTube videos on the table below in case you want to review or have missed the service.
New Deacons and Elders
June marks the start of the new term of the church board. We welcome Veronica as a new Deacon and welcome back Andreia, Jerome, Judy, Jessica and Cindy as returning Deacons. Also, added to our church board are our Elders: Uncle Winston, Uncle Ed and Uncle Carlos. Please pray for our church board as they serve in their assigned roles. We would also like to thank Kevin, John and Wendy as they finished their term in June.
Father’s Day
On Sunday, June 15, we celebrated Father’s Day, thanking and recognizing each father for all their hard work and everything they do. In honor of this special day, the Sunday School kids sang three songs – “God is a Friend we can Trust”, “Good in Every Way”, and “To God be the Glory”. We hope everyone had a wonderful day with their fathers and that all fathers felt special and loved. Thank you to all our Sunday School volunteer teachers and staff for guiding and teaching our children.
Baptized
Praise the Lord! Brother Junyu Guan and Sister Wenwen Zhao were baptized on June 22 at the Chinese congregation, giving their lives to the Lord.
Brother Junyu Guan and Sister Wenwen Zhao joined our church last year, and after nearly a year of seeking and learning, they made the decision to accept Jesus as the Lord of their lives. Their testimonies deeply moved us.
Brother Junyu shared how the seed of faith was planted in his heart during his childhood through the quiet but steadfast faith of his grandmother. She became a Christian in her 70s, despite having little formal education, and faithfully attended church every week. Junyu often saw her praying quietly. Over the years, her persistent prayers left a lasting impression, sowing the seed of Christ in his young heart.
Sister Wenwen Zhao came to our church through the invitation of Sister Summer. Through this connection, she truly encountered God. She shared that everything seemed to fall into place as if an unseen hand was gently guiding her forward. She does not believe it was just “good luck,” but that God had chosen her and prepared the path for her.
To read more about their testimonies, please follow this link: Baptismal Testimony – CECC
Chinese Congregation Potluck Fellowship
On the fourth Sunday of each month, our Chinese congregation hosts a potluck fellowship. On June 22, we were blessed to have Pastor Angela share the Word of God with us. That afternoon, we gathered for a joyful potluck meal with 20 to 30 attendees, including some new friends. We shared food, stories from our daily lives, and encouraged one another in the Lord as we continue this journey of faith together.
VBS Missions Bag
In preparation for VBS, we are still in need of items for the VBS Mission Bags for children in Chile. Our goal is to fill 50 bags with things like toys, games, and toiletries, to name a few. The list of items can be found on the bulletin board or on our CECC VBS website. Please speak to Hannah C. if you have a certain item you would like to donate or if you have any questions. Updates on received items can also be found on our CECC VBS website. All donations are due on July 13!
UPDATE: As of July 7th, all the donation item targets have been completed. Thank you CECC family for your generous donations
Washed (CECC Softball Team)
Our very own softball team, Washed, has been finding their rhythm as the team reintroduces returning players and welcomes new players to the roster. With this batch of seasoned vets and new athletes, a team culture is beginning to develop. There’s a certain excitement and buzz that is brought to each practice and is carried through into each game, fueling and energizing the team. Although the current standings place Washed at 2-3, the team can walk away from every game as winners because of their strong fellowship with each other before, during, and after each game. We don’t know how far this team will go, but one thing’s for sure – they’re definitely headed in the right direction. For more information about Washed, including when and where to show up to watch games, please follow the team’s Instagram: @washed_cecc
Construction Projects
As you’re entering from Victoria Park Ave, you might be wondering “Where have all the shrubs gone?”. Once inside the church building, you might have noticed “What’s that pipe on the foyer ceiling?”.
In June, we have started the work to make our church building accessible. The shrubs have been removed to make room for an outdoor ramp, which will be installed sometime in August. The pipes you see on the foyer ceiling are electrical conduits to power the planned accessible wheelchair platform lift. We will also be installing automatic door openers for the foyer washroom, as well as the entrance door (from the Victoria Park side) which will be the entrance coming from the outdoor ramp. The start date for this project is around mid-July.
In the beginning of July, we will start the renovation to insulate the attic space and prevent moisture build up. The Attic Renovation project will also result in additional storage space. There is a lot of work to be done. Please pray for guidance and safety as these renovations are ongoing.
For our June 2025 sermons, please see below table:
English Service
| Date | Speaker | Title | Songs |
| Jun 1, 2025 | Dr. See Kiat Toh | Loving Hagar’s Children | One Desire As the Deer Let God Arise Wash Over Me |
| Jun 8, 2025 | Heusen Lam | Faith Passed Down | Love of God Lay Me Down As for Me and My House Worth of it All |
| Jun 15, 2025 | Andrew Bendicion | Grace for Parenting. Grace for Everything. | Faithful One Everlasting God He Knows My Name What My Father’s Like |
| Jun 22, 2025 | Andrew Bendicion | Faith Like Caleb | BUILD MY LIFE This is Amazing Grace WAY MAKER ABIDE |
| Jun 29, 2025 | Heusen Lam | The Messiness of Faith | O Come To The Altar Holy Is the Lord Still From The Inside Out As For My And My House |
Chinese Service
| Date | Speaker | Title |
| Jun 1, 2025 | 劉 星 傳道 | 信仰私有化的惡果 |
| Jun 8, 2025 | 許恆波 牧師 | 饒恕 |
| Jun 15, 2025 | 劉 星 傳道 | 成爲一個傳遞智慧的父親 |
| Jun 22, 2025 | 林蘇文敏 傳道 | 路得蒙恩之路 |
| Jun 29, 2025 | 麥振榮 牧師 | 當歸從誰呢？ |