Ministries
The Vancouver congregation of the Worldwide Church of God supports the following ministries:

Open Door Ministry Open Door supports single mothers and their preschool children Saturdays 9:30am to 1:00pm.     Breakfast snacks are supplied, followed by play time for the children, and encouragement and mentoring for the mothers. There is a clothing exchange, and lunch is provided at 11:30am.     This ministry is supported by 24 church volunteers: some work with the children, others with the mothers, and still others take care of the kitchen and the clothing bank.     So far in the first 5 months of this ministry, we have welcomed 4 single mothers, 3 preschool children, and 4 preteens -- all girls! The preteens are not part of the Open Door mandate, but are supported by our family ministry, sitting in with our church family children in Bible study and taking part in the making of crafts.     This ministry is part of the Open Door project begun 30 years ago in North Vancouver, and now has 4 programs running every week in East Vancouver, Abbotsford, Surrey and North Vancouver, with a proposed new program beginning in Squamish this year.     We pray for these mothers and their children that God will help us to serve them with the love and concern that will help them in their time of need.     Contact: Mabel Morrison 604-581-8163 --January 2007

Beacon Hill Academy Beacon Hill Academy is a unique institute located in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. It is a cross between a liberal arts college and a vocational school and was established in 2003 in order to make higher education available free-of-charge to young people from all levels of society in the upcountry region.      The mission of the school, run by Matt and Rebecca Baker of Abbotsford, BC, is to enable the students to make a positive difference in their communities.      Course offerings include computers, literature, and ethics.     Visit the Beacon Hill Academy web site for more information.

Bengali Evangelical Association (BEA) The Bengali Evangelical Association was founded in 1986 by John Biswas as a Christian missionary organization.      Its goal is to serve the poor and destitute of Bangladesh and bring them the gospel of Jesus Christ.      BEA's many activities include: distributing Bibles, training and supporting native missionaries, planting churches, and supporting poor children.     Visit the BEA web site for more information.

The Oyango Tribe, Philippines Our Prince Rupert member, Goychi Mulleda, and her husband, Cecilio, have dedicated themselves in their retirement years to serving and assisting the Oyango Tribe, and especially their children, in order to help give them a "hand up" out of their poverty.     Through lack of income most of the families are not able to afford the cost of school materials to pursue an education. But education is one of the main ways by which the tribe can eventually become self-supporting by the children growing up and becoming employable.     Land is also being purchased by the Mulleda's to enable the members of the tribe to grow produce, not only for themselves but also as a source of income for the entire tribe.     Goychi's ministry is not an official charity but a ministry born out of compassion for the circumstances in which she saw the members of the Oyango Tribe having to suffer.     More information can be obtained from Goychi by email at:  cecilgoychi@yahoo.ca