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Lavender Florist Inviting all my customers to my new location and wishing you a Merry Christmas! - Grace 905-465-2223 2380 Parkhaven Blvd. Dundas St. E . Trafalgar R d O ak Park B lvd N 2380 Parkhaven Blvd remaxaboutowne.comRE/MAX Aboutowne Realty Corp., Brokerage Independently owned and operated. Designed by: Brittany Forrest 905.338.9000 905.842.7000 *Brokers and Sales Representatives 2010-12-1 7 5 Friday , D ecem ber 17, 2010 O A KVILLE BEA V ER w w w .o akvillebeaver .co m By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Brontes Harvest House Compassion Centre will be opening its doors on Saturday, Dec. 18, to help those in need and to give these residents an opportunity to see what the centre is all about. Established by Harvest Bible Chapel in August, the 5,000-square- foot centre, which is located at 2400 Lakeshore Rd., W., provides the space the church needs to conduct out- reach work in the community. George Schuurman, a former Toronto police officer and current pastor of Compassion Ministries at Harvest Bible Chapel, talked about the upcoming noon to 3 p.m. Dec. 18 open house and what he hopes it will accomplish. Were inviting people, who have need around this time of year Christmas time; people who are in the margins and are maybe having trouble making ends meet and really just need an extra hand up this time of year, he said. We want to welcome them here. Refreshments will be offered to them. We will have information about our centre, information about our church. They can come in and hang out for a bit and they are also going to receive a food care package. Schuurman said a food drive has been taking place at Harvest Bible Chapel over the last few weekends in order to collect food for this event. Special gifts will also be provided to these residents who attend the open house. Were very much at the begin- ning of trying to access what the needs in the community are, said Schuurman. It really is a unique community in Oakville where you have very well- to-do sections, but then also maybe areas where the need is there and there is some work that can be done. We also want to see if something like a food pantry on an ongoing basis is something that would be a way to serve the community. Schuurman said the centre offers a wide variety of services, including a recovery group for alcoholics and addicts. This group meets Friday nights. The centre also offers a special program called Christianity Explored, which provides those interested with an introduction to the basics of the Christian faith. The centre also provides biblical counselling. Its counselling to address any counselling need that someone might have. This could be any kind of psychiatric situation or family prob- lems that people need to be walked through, people dealing with abusive pasts that they are still trying to work their way through, said Schuurman. It really would run the range of issues that people would come in and seek help for. Schuurman said religion can have a major impact on a persons life. He speaks from experience. The former policeman said religion deliv- ered him from a particularly dark period he was going through. I was a Toronto police officer for 31 years and it was in 2001 that my life made a dramatic turn. That was because of what God had done in my life. I had my own drinking issues at the time and God used the people in the street in downtown Toronto, par- ticularly drug addicts and alcoholics, homeless and people with mental health issues to point out my own situation, my own selfishness and my own sinful life, said Schuurman. Through all that he changed me and saved me and also called me into ministry. He is now calling me to reach out to people in the margins. For more information about the Harvest House Compassion Centre, call 905-827-5295. Harvest House Compassion Centre reaches out to community NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER OPEN INVITATION: George Schuurman, pastor of Compassion Ministries at Harvest Bible Chapel, welcomes the public to visit the Harvest House Compassion Centre, 2400 Lakeshore Rd. W., during its open house on Saturday from 12 noon to 3 p.m. www.playmobil.ca OUR RETAIL STORE IS NOW OPEN We Look Forward to Serving You Again! We Are Now Located at 6430 Kennedy Road, Unit D, Mississauga. L5T 2Z5 Self Watering planters made in Germany incorporating many stylish designs. PLANTERS