Updated:
November 7, 2005
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BEGINNING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE THROUGH
PRAYER
God has purchased full salvation through Jesus Christ
for everyone who believes. This prayer is provided to help you express your
sincere trust in Christ for salvation:Dear Lord Jesus - I know that 1 am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I want my life to change. I believe that You suffered for all of my sins by dying in my place, shedding Your blood, and then rising from the grave. I now receive You by faith into my life as Saviour and follow You as Lord. In Jesus' Name, Amen GROWTH IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH
CHRIST
• Read your Bible and talk to God every day.• Worship, fellowship and serve in a church where Christ is preached. • Tell others about Christ and demonstrate your new life by kindness, honest, and pure living. • Ask God to till your mind and will with His Holy Spirit every day. |
ASBURY'S SALVATION HISTORY
"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes..." St. Paul, Romans 1:16
We cherish our heritage as one of the founding Christian faiths of Perth and accept the challenge to grow with the community into the future.
The first young Methodist Episcopal preachers arrived in Perth with other Christian ministers shortly after the 1816 formation of this military town. It was a tough appointment among the war-hardened military veterans, but as their three-fold Gospel message was received, lives were powerfully changed. They declared that all may be saved, and that all may know they are saved. This resulted in very joyous worship and people enjoyed their love relationship with God.
They also preached that all may be fully saved. As people experienced this further depth of salvation, the quality and integrity of life in homes, businesses and the community improved. Many people began to receive Jesus into their lives, and in 1821 the first little log chapel was built on this site. The present stone structure was completed in 1884 to accommodate the growing number of Methodist Christians.
In 1925, the Asbury Methodist and Knox Presbyterian congregations merged to form the St. Paul's United Church. By 1935, the Asbury building had been sold to the government and became the armoury for the Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment D Company from 1935 to 1965.
Ironically, in 1935 a marvellous time of spiritual renewal was taking place among Free Methodists in the Clarendon and Mississippi area. Many teens and young adults became Christians, including Donald and Esther White, and many from the Hannah, Maclntyre and Gibson families. Some of these people moved to Perth for work. In 1953, Rev. Donald White was invited to hold services in the old Foster Street School. By 1954, a Free Methodist Congregation was established with 9 members. A lot was purchased at 158 Gore street E., and in May 1955 excavation was started. Labour for construction, heating, plumbing and carpentry were completed by volunteers and on November 12, 1955 the cornerstone was laid. They also built a church parsonage in 1955 at 36 Robinson Street.
God honoured their faith and many more persons were saved through the preaching of the Gospel, and within ten years the congregation overflowed the seating capacity of the church. In 1965, this original stone church was bought back from the government and restored and used again for its original purpose as a place of worship and a place to experience God's love, forgiveness and hope through the Gospel.
In this year 2001, adults, youth and children at Asbury continue to receive the wonderful free gift of salvation through believing in Christ. We are humbled to be part of this sacred history of salvation. May God help Asbury and all of the churches in this town to create an insatiable thirst for God by the faithful preaching of the Gospel of Christ.
"We pray for mercy oh God. Give us a heart for the work of reconciliation. Let rivers of salvation flow through the streets of our communities, so that men, women and children will come to a redeeming knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Break, oh God, barriers of oppression. Provide divine wisdom to community leaders, so that your compassion and truth will be released into the vary fabric of society". In Jesus precious name we pray. Amen.
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WHAT IS KEENAGERS?
The answer to this often-asked question is that “Keenagers” is a wonderful, positive, vibrant group of 55 to 98 year olds who meet weekly at Asbury Free Methodist Church Fellowship Hall for a social time, refreshments, a speaker, good music, a reading and of course a few jokes to keep us laughing. This group has been operating since 1971.
Our Mission Statement Reads –
To worship and glorify God in love.
And to lift up the Name of Jesus thro’ the Word and music.
To provide a weekly meeting place for seniors of the town of Perth,
Where social and spiritual needs are met”.
Along with Director, Rod Hannah, a long-time member, this year we are operating the group by a Steering-Committee following the recent move of our faithful leaders Rev. Bob and Ruth Ferris to Stouffville, Ontario. We owe the success of our program to our many, many faithful volunteers who help each week and to the remarkable spirit of our members. Our average attendance is 85 – 95.
Everyone is welcome from all faiths and backgrounds. Several have said, “Keenagers is my church as I am unable to attend my own”.
If you would like to be part of this exciting and friendly group, come once and experience the warm welcome – we are sure you’ll come again!
We meet each Thursday morning 10 am – 11 am at Asbury Church. Hope to see your there!
Carol Kettyle
Steering Committee
MemberThe following poem was written by one of our members Kay Devlin and expresses the very essence of Keenagers.
THE UNSEEN PRESENCE AT KEENAGERS
Jesus was here today you know,
But no one saw Him come or go.
He was at the door when we came in
But all we saw was the welcoming,
The kind and happy faces
And fellowship filled with infinite graces.
He blesses the hands that helped the lame
And listened as we praised His name.
He blessed the hands that prepared the food
And the hands that set the tables
And did all they could to honour Him.
He blessed the jokes,
Blessed the songs,
Blessed the reading of the Psalms.
He saw that your faith was strong today
And smiled and quietly slipped away.
Jesus was here today you know,
But no one saw Him come or go.
Jesus was here today you know,
But no one saw Him come or go.
He was at the door when we came in
But all we saw was the welcoming,
The kind and happy faces
And fellowship filled with infinite graces.
He blesses the hands that helped the lame
And listened as we praised His name.
He blessed the hands that prepared the food
And the hands that set the tables
And did all they could to honour Him.
He blessed the jokes,
Blessed the songs,
Blessed the reading of the Psalms.
He saw that your faith was strong today
And smiled and quietly slipped away.
Jesus was here today you know,
But no one saw Him come or go.