Emerge Logo  Our Mission:

Emerge Church is here to…

see people come to Jesus,

find wholeness in Him and

help others take the same path, so…

 

Let’s Go, and Let’s Grow!

 
Greeters

 

Our Growth Track >>

 

Step 1

belong

BELONG

 
Come be a part of the family that strives to love unconditionally. Learn about who we are at Emerge Church and find out what it looks like to be in community here.

Step 2

BELIEVE

 
Discover that it is Jesus that makes our church such a loving and healing place. Take a journey with us by learning to walk with Him every day. His Bible has all the answers!

Step 3

BECOME

 
As you continue to grow in your spiritual gifts, you will discover what service opportunity best fits you. Not only will this ignite you in new passions, it will also bring a positive and lasting impact to the lives of others.

Step 4

BEYOND

 
Equipped with God’s love, you can fulfill the Great Commission by reaching out to others and giving away the love He has given you for free. This allows others to take the exact same journey.
 

Our Guiding Principles

  1. Jesus is the centre; His love always prevails.
  2. We focus on what is right about Jesus, not what’s wrong with the world.
  3. We want to be contagious by our lifestyle and attitude, proving that Jesus is still the answer.
  4. Jesus can make anyone new. 
  5. We need to allow God to first transform us so…
  6. We want to be the hands of Jesus – helping wherever we can.
  7. We want to see many more grow in these truths.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday morning is the key piece to our overall strategy

 
‘Taste and see that the Lord is good.’
               
We long for it to be an engaging experience that is very meaningful for the seeker
and for the followers of Christ- creating hunger to go deeper with God.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Core Values That Create Our Culture…

HIM

‘To God be the glory, great things He has done.’ Jesus is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end and the author and finisher of our faith and because of this we live to glorify Him!
Everything we are and do must be because of the commitment to His pre-eminence in our lives…

 

US

Because of God’s incredible love and plan for us- we purpose to live an obedient life full of joy and peace.
Our desire to be faithful to Christ is so often revealed by our willingness to walk through very difficult situations together.
This safe haven encourages us to grow together in community.

 

OTHERS

Because we have experienced God’s incredible love, it propels us to reach people far from God. Not only do we share our own stories inspiring people to consider God, but we also purpose to collectively create an ‘invitational’ atmosphere –
so it’s easy for those seeking hope to fall in love with Jesus.
 

We are deeply devoted to Jesus, deeply committed to loving one another,

and deeply passionate about reaching those far from God with His love.

 

Our Beliefs…

 … Are in line with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC), and consist of the following tenets:
 
 

Preamble

This version of the Statement of Essential Truths represents the result of an extensive collaborative process to rephrase and refresh what is most essential to us. As before, we make no claim that this statement covers all biblical truth, nor that the human phraseology employed here is inspired. We recognize as we did at the outset of our movement that there is some diversity of theological thought among us, but we remain committed as a Pentecostal community to the historic creeds of the church, to evangelical convictions of faith, and to the Full Gospel that Christ is Saviour, Healer, Spirit-Baptizer, and Soon Coming King.

 

Triune God

There is one God, the creator, who exists eternally in unity as three equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The triune God is loving, holy, infinite, just, and worthy of all worship. 

 

The Father accomplishes his plan of salvation through both redemption and judgment. All things will be subject to him, and his kingdom will have no end. 

 

The Father sent the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of Mary when she was a virgin. Jesus became fully human while remaining fully God. Anointed by the Spirit, Jesus revealed the Father and the kingdom of God by his sinless life, teaching, and miracles. After he died for our sin, God raised him from the dead, and he is now at the right hand of the Father.

 

The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son and gives life throughout creation. The Spirit draws people to repentance and new life in Jesus Christ. Through the Spirit’s indwelling, the Father and the Son are present to all believers, making them children of God. 

 

Bible

The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is the written revelation of God’s character and saving purposes for humanity and for all creation. As God’s revelation, the entire Bible is true and trustworthy, and is the final and absolute authority for belief and conduct. The Holy Spirit who inspired the Bible enables its interpretation and application.

 

Creation

God created and sustains the heavens and the earth, which display God’s glory. Formed in the image of God, both male and female, humankind is entrusted with the care of God’s creation as faithful stewards. As a result of human rebellion, sin and death entered the world, distorting the image of God and all of God’s good creation.

 

Angels were created as supernatural beings to worship and serve God. Along with Satan, some angels chose to rebel and oppose the purposes of God. Christ gives believers victory over Satan and these demons.

 

Salvation

Salvation is available to all people by the loving, redemptive act of the triune God. Through obedience to the Father, Christ gave himself as a ransom. Christ, who had no sin, became sin for us offering himself and shedding his blood on the cross so that in him we might become right with God. The life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ provide the way of salvation for those who, by God’s grace, repent from their sin and confess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. 

 

Salvation means to receive the Spirit, to be forgiven, reconciled with God and others, born again, and liberated from sin and darkness, transferring the believer into God’s kingdom. Our experience of liberation includes healing —whether spiritual, physical, emotional, or mental — as a foretaste of our future, complete restoration. Those who remain in Christ and do not turn away are assured of salvation on judgment day by the indwelling Holy Spirit, who sanctifies and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.

 

Spirit Baptism

On the Day of Pentecost, Jesus poured out the promised Holy Spirit on the church. As his return draws near, Jesus continues to baptize in the Holy Spirit those who are believers. This empowers them to continue his work of proclaiming with speech and action the good news of the arrival and coming of the kingdom of God. This experience is available for everyone, male and female, of every age, status, and ethnicity. 

 

The sign of speaking in tongues indicates that believers have been baptized with the Holy Spirit and signifies the nature of Spirit baptism as empowering our communication, to be his witnesses with speech and action as we continue to pray in the Spirit.

 

The Church

Jesus Christ is the head of the church. All who are united with Christ are joined by the Spirit to his body. Each local church is an expression of the universal church whose role is to participate in the mission of God to restore all things. 

 

Central to the church is the shared experience of the transforming presence of God. The church responds with worship, prayer, proclamation, discipleship, and fellowship,  including the practices of water baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism by immersion symbolizes the believer’s identification with Christ in his death and resurrection. The Lord’s Supper symbolizes Christ’s body and blood, and our communion as believers. Shared together, it proclaims his death in anticipation of his return.

 

The Spirit gives all gifts to the church to minister to others in love for the purpose of bearing witness to Christ and for the building up of the church. The Spirit also empowers leaders, both female and male, to equip the church to fulfill its mission and purposes.

 

Restoration

Our great hope is for the imminent return of Christ in the air to receive his own, both the living who will be transformed, and the dead in Christ who will be resurrected bodily. Christ will complete at his second coming the restoration begun when he initiated God’s kingdom at his first coming. Christ will liberate creation from the curse, fulfill God’s covenant to Israel, and defeat all powers that oppose God. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Ultimately, God will judge the living and the dead. Such judgment is God’s gracious answer to humanity’s cry for justice to prevail throughout the earth and is consistent with God’s character as loving, holy, and just. The unredeemed will go away into eternal punishment, but the redeemed into eternal life. The redeemed will enjoy the presence of God where there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

 

 

Our Staff

 
Pastor Todd and Tammy Pratt served Emerge Church over the last ten years. They completed their ministry agreement on April 27, 2025. We are grateful for their time with us and pray God’s blessing on their next. An interim pastor will be appointed by our District in May. There will be a Townhall meeting with the congregation, the interim pastor, and District representatives on Tuesday May 20th at 7:00pm to talk about our process going forward.
 

Jessica Krause

WORSHIP PASTOR

Jessica has attended Emerge Church since she was born and is thrilled to now be serving as Assistant Pastor! She has a passion for music and the Word of God.
 
Jess is currently working on a Masters of Arts in Bible and Theology through Horizon College and Seminary.
 
She enjoys spending time at the lake any time of year.

Mark Kremer

MUSIC DIRECTOR

 
Mark moved to Sylvan Lake in 2022 with his wife Raeleen, and his 3 children: Halo, Ryder and Xavier.

He has a passion for his family, music and travel, all of which have deeply shaped and enriched his life experience.

Mark attended Bible College to study music and continues to hone his skills as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Michelle Ritz

MEDIA COORDINATOR

 
Michelle grew up in Manitoba and currently resides in Wetaskiwin, Alberta with her daughter, Amanita. She is passionate about God and loves sharing His love, mercy and grace through her testimony to whomever God directs her to.
 
She is married to our lead guitarist Jonathan. They are driven to help believers grow and unshackle strongholds through the course, Soul Care, offered throughout the year at Emerge church. 

Sam and Jordan Krause

YOUTH MINISTRY

 
Sam and Jordan have been actively involved in Emerge Church’s youth ministry first as students, then as volunteers before accepting their current leadership role. 
 
Sam and Jordan were raised in Sylvan Lake. They were married at the church in November 2019, and have been building a bright future in ministry together. 
 
Outside of their church role, you can find them at hockey & football games, doing house projects, or spending time at the lake. 

Jordan Krause

ART & GRAPHIC DESIGN

 
Jordan grew up in Sylvan Lake, attending Emerge Church since childhood, & graduating from Lighthouse Christian Academy. Her passion for Art & Design was discovered after completing a Work Experience class for the church in high school with a good friend/mentor.  
 
Jordan is married to her husband Sam Krause. Outside of her church role, she also works full time at a health clinic as a Medical Administrator. Her hobbies include: reading, baking, shopping, being active, drinking London Fogs, and spending time with the people she loves.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Debbie Hiebert

OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

 
Debbie and her husband Tim moved to Sylvan Lake in 2003. They have three grown children: Nick, Tyler, and Kristin, and five grandchildren. They are proud to call Sylvan Lake home and to be a part of the Emerge Church family.
 
Deb is highly organized and keeps things running smoothly in the office!

Krista Egesa

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

(AGES 6-11)

Krista was born an attendee of Emerge church and is thrilled to now be serving as the children’s ministry leader for kids ages 6-11!
 
She is passionate about working with children, has volunteered at a babies home in Uganda, Africa where she met her now husband, and is honoured to be able to pour into the little ones here by being an encourager of their faith! 

Hickory Hilman

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

(UP TO 5 YEARS)

Hickory lives to experience and witness the goodness of God in the land of the living. Her hope is for all those around her to know God’s heart as well.
 
She loves taking life as an adventure: from baking, to acting, to travelling the world. She has been involved with children’s ministries for over a decade and is excited to be apart of what God is doing in this season of children’s ministry at Emerge Church!
 
 
 

Abigail Schimke

FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR

 
Abigail has been the financial administrator for the church since 2011. She grew up in Lacombe, Alberta and holds a business degree from University of Calgary. Abigail is also the administrator for Lighthouse Christian Academy, which is housed at Emerge Church.
 
Abigail lives in Sylvan Lake with her husband Shawn and children Cole, Brooke, and Grace.
 
 

 History of Emerge Church

 
Emerge Church has a longstanding heritage in Sylvan Lake. Starting out in a local cottage of a Missionary worker named Mrs. Wright in 1938, the church grew and began gathering in the W.I. Hall. In 1942, a building was purchased and moved from Lower Camp. In 1952, a Sunday School Hall was constructed to accommodate the growing families. The name was changed from Pentecostal Tabernacle to Gospel Chapel.
 
In the early 1980’s, four acres of land were donated to construct our current facility. Construction began in 1986 and the congregation moved into the new facility in 1989. In March 2005, the additions of Lighthouse Christian Academy and the new auditorium were dedicated.
 
In the fall of 2019, Gospel Chapel was rebranded as Emerge Church. The word Emerge means to come forward into something new. We are committed to continuing to build with God in Sylvan Lake and are excited to move forward into this new season!