Easter Sunday—Resurrection Sunday—stands at the center of Christian faith, hope and lives. It proclaims that sin, death, and darkness do not get the final word. In a world of trouble, in the weakness of our human condition and frustrations with sin, the resurrection isn’t just a miracle to admire; it’s a promise that God can breathe life into what feels broken or finished. Peter captures this when he writes, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). That “living hope” is what fuels worship—not a vague optimism, but a confidence rooted in a risen Savior. Let’s make the coming LORD’s day a time of celebration and thanksgiving, making way again for Christ’s grace and hope. Let the truth of Christ’s resurrection lift your spirit. Let it draw you into worship that’s full of gratitude, expectation, and joy. The resurrection invites you to stand in the light of a God who restores, renews, and surprises us with grace. It is for us and for our families. It’s the kind of hope that steadies us and the kind of victory that makes your heart want to sing. This weekend, CLA will celebrate ten services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Come join us!
Over the past ten months, our CLA staff has been on a journey of change and adjustment. This season has been both challenging and beneficial. It’s always hard to say good-bye to good people, but it also gives us an opportunity to reexamine what we do and how. Staffing is a crucial part of our mission, as it enables our people and buildings to be mobilized for ministry and outreach. It’s the concrete and rebar that so much else is built upon. Today, I’m announcing that one of the final pieces in our restructuring is falling into place with the hiring of a new Assistant Pastor in Langley, who will oversee our “Gather & Grow”. Together with Neil Muth, our Church Manager, Sheldon Armitage, my Executive Pastor and Monica Unger, my Executive Assistant, this person will help shape vision and mission for CLA by sitting on the Senior Leadership Team (SLT).
Let me introduce you to Pastor Michele Yackel. I first met Michele when she was a student of mine at SPC, so this new appointment feels like a full-circle moment. Michele previously served at CLA in 2000, helping direct our School of Ministry, and later worked with Carson Pue and Arrow Leadership. She and her husband Anthony planted Urban Road Church in Langley (2010–16), and most recently served at the UBC campus of Tenth Church in Vancouver. She’s excited to return to the PAOC and to CLA. Michele brings church-planting experience, multisite campus skills, and carries cross‑cultural experience from a couple of years in India. Michele is a collaborative leader with a deep ministry background. She will be a key liaison for Gather (first impressions and Sunday ministries). As a mature female pastor, she will directly oversee pastors and help us reorganize Her Church on Wednesdays. She will also serve as liaison for Communications, Tech, Singles Ministry, and our volunteer library team. As our Grow Pastor, she will lead adult discipleship pathways in Langley, including Life Groups, classes, seminars, and Transformation Weekends. Michele begins her ministry on April 15.
