July 10, 2022 - INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE HEART

By Cheryl Zamora

A tall order is upon Central Edmonton Alliance Church (CEAC) formerly First Filipino Alliance Church (FFAC) to continue going farther, broader and deeper in its missional path. Thinking and serving locally and globally have become encoded in CEAC's DNA.

To appreciate what FFAC has done in missions locally and abroad over the years, the FFAC story must be told even only briefly. In 1984, Joy Tira, a missionary turned pastor turned scholar turned diaspora statesman entered into the picture. Right from the get go, the fledgling church he started would have one evening in a month with no other agenda but to pray and celebrate how Jesus told his followers to remember him. Worship became a high priority; it is our eternal occupation. The goal of missions is worship. FFAC managed to retain some of the crowd drawn to its numerous outreach events. Many were baptized and became disciples. The early Bible study group with a core of university graduates responded to God's call to ministry. This started a wave of Bible school/seminary graduates coming from FFAC, many are still actively serving in ministry today. Besides producing career ministers and missionaries, several short-term mission teams have served in Asia and Europe. What started as a local ministry became global.

Here and in various parts of the world FFAC has championed prayer, evangelism, leadership training, strengthening marriages and sponsored pastors, missionaries and kingdom workers to advance missions.

Credit is due to our faithful God for this incredible run. Yet, we are mindful of the challenges ahead as we arise out of the pandemic that affected not only our physical but also our spiritual lives. Our ongoing thrust is to strengthen the Church and train more emerging leaders who would become His kingdom workers in our own city and beyond.

For Your glory, so help us God!