Alongside the tremendous spiritual need of the City of Vancouver, the vision for Pacific Church began with a direct sense of God’s call to Vancouver, the tragic death of a brilliant young man, and a renewed understanding of God’s heart for the city.

In the Spring of 2005, church planter Adam Wiggins was convicted by Jesus’ words in Matthew 16, “24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

This sense of God’s calling was also established through the death of a young doctoral student studying Psychology at UBC. This young man was brilliant, grew up passionately in love with Jesus, and yet walked farther and farther away from God as he pursued his education. As Adam observed the brokenness of friends and family at this young man’s funeral, he experienced one of those moments where the Holy Spirit was speaking into his life. The question was: 'Who cares for these? These often lost people of the city? People who go to the city to lose themselves, or who get lost along their journey?"

As God continued to impress Adam with this new calling, he began to understand more clearly how important the city is to God. Throughout Scripture the city is strategic to the movement and purpose of God, especially to the influence and spread of the Gospel. ”7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." (Jeremiah 29). The principle is: 'Influence the city; influence the entire country.'