About Us
Vision
“Building a Church Rooted in the Word, Growing in the Spirit, and Bearing Fruit that will last.”
“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”
(Colossians 2:7)
“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”
(Jeremiah 17:7-8)
Mission
“By the anointing of the Holy Spirit, we are commissioned to transform our communities through Sharing the Gospel, Equipping the Believers, and Planting Churches.”
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
(Luke 4:18-19)
Our Story
Ivan & Joanne Jonathan
Lead Pastors
Ivan Jonathan was born in Jakarta, Indonesia and was called to be His servant at a young age. In 1996, he moved to Australia and completed his Bachelor's in Ministry. Upon returning to Indonesia in 2002, he joined the City Blessing Church in Jakarta, working with the Wagner Leadership Institute Asia founded by Dr. C. Peter Wagner.
Ivan Jonathan is an ordained minister since 2009 and had been serving as the Associate Pastor of City Blessing Church in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of November 2012, he serves as the Lead Pastor of City Blessing Church – Metro Vancouver.
Ivan Jonathan is an active member of Ministers Fellowship International (MFI) since 2011, which was founded by Ps. Dick Iverson, and led by Dr. Frank Damazio.
Ivan currently resides in British Columbia, Canada with his wife Joanne and their two kids, Matthew and Tiffany.
Peter & Nani Tayu
Founding Pastors
Peter and Nani Tayu moved to Vancouver, Canada in 1998 and were led by God to plant City Blessing Church in Vancouver, and have been raising leaders since its founding in 1999.
Ever since passing on leadership of the church to Ivan and Joanne Jonathan in November 2012, Peter and Nani Tayu have been called to serve in Indonesia. They have two daughters and are blessed with two grandchildren.
Pillars of Ministries
The four pillars of ministry are foundational to the operations of our church body. Each is equally important and is integral to the growth and empowerment of our church.
Statement of Faith
The Father
We believe that our Heavenly Father is loving, all powerful, all knowing, unchanging, and completely holy. Through Him we were created and in Him we live, move, and have our being. He is a good father, a provider, and a protector. He is a covenant keeping God, faithful to all His promises.
1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:6; Ps. 68:5; Matt. 6:26
Jesus
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the second person in the Godhead. He is completely God and completely man. He lived a sinless life and came to earth to reconcile mankind to the heart of the Father, sacrificing his life so that we would find life in him. His death and resurrection reconciled man with God, and made a way for all who believe to walk in his power, love, and grace, and receive eternal life.
Luke 1:26-35; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Rom. 4:25; 1 Thes. 4:13-18
Holy Spirit
We believe that The Holy Spirit was sent to all believers to bring counsel and comfort, to teach and guide us into all truth, and to convict us of sin, judgment, and righteousness. The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus as he lived on the earth and he now empowers and equips believers to walk in the Spirit, with evidence of the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
John 15:26; Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:26
The Trinity
We believe in the Eternal Godhead who has revealed Himself as one God existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; distinguishable but indivisible. Each member of the trinity holds equal power and authority, existing in complete unity for eternity.
Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14
Man
We believe that man is made in the image of God, created perfectly by God and for God. Man was designed to live in fellowship with God, but became separated through sinful disobedience. The sacrifice of Jesus made a way for man to once again attain a right relationship with God. We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity.
Rom. 5:11-21; Eph. 2:8-9; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31
The Bible
We believe that the Bible is God's Word, a message to all people, inspired and written under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is complete and infallible in nature. It is authoritative in teaching, rebuking and training in all aspects of our daily lives.
2 Tim. 3:16; 1 Cor. 2:13
The Church
We believe the church is a community of believers seeking to make disciples of all nations and to grow together through fellowship and the teaching of the Word. The church is committed to being a beacon of light in the city, sharing the message of the gospel and ultimately sharing the love of Christ.
Eph. 2:20-22; Heb. 10:24-25; Rom. 12:4-5
Salvation
We believe that salvation is only found through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. It is a gift of God received solely through his grace and cannot be earned by our own efforts. The gift of salvation is given to all who place their faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus and receive his sacrifice as complete payment for their sin. Salvation should produce a fervent obedience to the Word and an active lifestyle of loving God and loving people.
John 5:24; John 3:16; 2 Thes. 1:9; Luke 10:27
Judgment
We believe Jesus will return to the earth bodily and personally. At the end of the age, he will judge every person according to his or her relationship with God with eternal life in heaven or eternal separation from God.
Matt. 25:14; Rev. 20:10-15
Marriage & Family
We believe God created marriage as a beautiful covenant relationship between one man and one woman. God wonderfully and immutably created each person as male or female as to reflect His image. The institution of marriage is the context for sexual relationship as well as the raising of children.
Gen. 1:26-27; Gen. 2:18-25; 1 Cor. 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4
Baptism
We believe in the practice of baptism as modeled in the Bible. We believe in the necessity of water baptism by immersion as a public act to signify the death of our sinful nature and the life received through the resurrection of Jesus. We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an experience subsequent to salvation, with the Scriptural evidence; namely, speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.
Matt. 28:19; Acts 19:1-6; Acts 2:1-4
Communion
We believe communion is a commemoration done in reflection of Jesus' sacrifice for our sins and his gift of redemption offered to us. We partake in the communion elements of bread and wine/juice as a symbol of Jesus' body and blood that were sacrificed for us. Communion is a celebration of His mercy and grace so generously given to us.
1 Cor. 11:24-32; John 6:53