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Warden Full Gospel Assembly

Warden Full Gospel Assembly (WFGA) is a community church found in the heart of Scarborough, Toronto. Found off of Warden Ave and Sheppard Ave, this church is described as being a loving, welcoming, family oriented and a wonderful place to hear the word of God, just to name a few. WFGA is a Pentecostal church, this meaning that they “believe that faith must be powerfully experiential, and not something found merely through ritual or thinking”. Pentecostalism "is the fastest growing Christian church on earth" Too see more on Pentecostalism see: Pentecostalism.

Some of the reasons why people go to church are to become closer to God, to be part of a faith community and so their children will have a moral foundation, and at WFGA this can be made possible.

Brief History

Warden Full Gospel Assembly got its start in 1952. A group of German had settled in Toronto and wanted to start a place of worship. They met for about two years, along with the help of several men who would help with leadership and preaching the word of God. Then in 1954, Rev. Edmund Boettcher officially started to lead a small congregation, which started meeting at Christus Kirche (Christ’s Church). This congregation met at Stone Church and Evangel Temple until the year 1956, when they acquired their first building on Broadview Avenue in Toronto. This is where strong growth for the WFGA started taking place. At this location the ministry was mainly German speaking at the time. Three years later, an extensive addition to the church on Broadview was completed as the church was continuing to grow. As the congregation continued growing, it was clear that more expansion was necessary, so then in 1982, there was a decision was made to relocate Christus Kirche. This is when 2210 Warden Avenue was purchased and Warden Full Gospel Assembly (WFGA) was born at its present location in the Scarborough-Agincourt community. During the next couple of years, WFGA continued to develop and grow into a neighbourhood church and English services were added. This leaded to a more multi-cultural congregation. As the years went on, the church continued to grow and expand in order to accommodate their loyal congregation. Now, the church is one that is endeavoring to embrace its local and global community in order to reach others with the help of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Lead Pastors Throughout the Years

• Rev. Edmund Boettcher
• Rev. Jakob Heidt
• Rev. Eduard Nerling
• Rev. Gerhard Rattai
• Rev. Gordon Krause
• Rev. Roger Malcolm
• Rev. Trevor Moss
• Dr Werner Rienas

Worship

Worship is a very important part of WFGA church service. Every Sunday, the congregation stand for 4-6 songs of worship. Some of these songs include the Hillsong Hillsong version of It Is Well, Oceans (Where Feet May Fail), 100 000 Reasons and How Great Thou Art, to only name a few.

Ministries

There are many different ministries for people of all ages to get involved in at WFGA. At WFGA it is important that everyone feels welcome and that people from kids to seniors feel like they have a place to be themselves and learn about the Lord in many different capacities. Some of the ministries that are offered at WFGA are, Kids, Youth, Young Adults, Ladies, Men and Seniors. Here’s a look into a few of their ministries:

Kids (One Way Kids Ministries)

Kids are an important part of the church life at WFGA. They believe that by investing in the lives of children and by providing age appropriate programs for the kids, they will be able to grow in their faith, and learn about God’s lovein a meaningful way. Some of the different kids ministries that can be found at WFGA are Jump Start (for ages 2-3), Boost (for ages 4-5) and Zoom (for ages 6-12). Each of these areas has a specific focus so that the children can learn about God in age appropriate way. Right now, the Children’s Ministries Pastor is Rev. Sarah Raddatz.

Youth (The Sound)

Youth has always been very important at WFGA. The Sound youth group’s main focus is to help high school age students understand God’s love for them during the confusing years of their lives. They are called The Sound because they “desire to function as a group like that of Sound: Always moving, never stopped”. They state that sound is the only thing that can penetrate all forms of matter, and they believe that through God’s love, they can also do more than they ever thought they could. Their wish is that through the times in which they encounter God’s love, they will be able to reflect that love to everyone that they encounter in their immediate community. This group meets on Fridayat 7:00pm, where they hope to provide opportunities to connect with God along with their fellow peers. Together they hope to create a family like atmosphere all with one purpose and one goal. Some of the avenues in which they do this vary between music, teachings, conversations, social events, sports, outdoor activities in the parking lot, as well as camps and retreats. Right now, the Youth and Young Adult’s Ministries Pastor is Pastor Ryan Mackinnon. There are also youth leaders that help Ryan with Youth on Friday nights, these people are Jahvon Baccus, Joshua Bauer, Joel Coburn, Ann Marie Coburn and Simone de Silva.

Seniors (Joy Unlimited Senior Adult Gathering)

Joy Unlimited at WFGA, provides a variety of activities for people that are 55 years old or older. They hope to provide a place where people can meet new people and establish friendships. They meet for lunch where they can Bible study, pray for each other and serve the community in a few different capacities. Monthly activities give someone the opportunity to get together for fun and fellowship with other people in this age grouping from within our church. They encourage that people who are in this group or anyone wishing to join bring a friend so that they can join in on the fun too.

Missions

Missions is very important to WFGA. They believe that the Bible challenges people to be generous, just as God is generous to us. The Gospel ("which are full of the teachings of Jesus Christ" is the ultimate example of this. God gave to the world His only Son. And Jesus models a life of self-sacrifice and extreme generosity. He taught to care for people in need and go the extra mile. At Warden Full Gospel Assembly, we strive to do this both Locally and Globally. Some of the places WFGA has sent people on missions is to Thailand, Tanzania and soon Slovakia.

(Some of) What the Bible Says About Going to Church

"17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ". Romans 10 "33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well". Matthew 6:33 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Important Links

Website:https://www.wardenfullgospel.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wardenfullgospel/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wardenfullgospel/