Norm Millar

Senior Pastor & Elder

My life has been one of God’s grace and mercy flowing abundantly. He blessed me into a Christian family with great parents and a great upbringing. He blessed me with an amazing wife starting at age 19 when I still really didn’t know what I was doing. He has blessed us with an amazing 30 years of marriage, five wonderful children and now a growing family as they marry and have their own children. He blessed us with an amazing group of friends to do life and ministry together with and He blessed us with the privilege of full-time service in His kingdom.

Along the way I enjoyed a 20 year career in business being a computer programmer, then analyst and application software designer and then a project leader and computer consultant. I loved business and my friends there but I loved more the giving of my life to full-time ministry. God graciously called me to Bible College for one year at Heritage back in 87 and then to Seminary in LA at The Master’s Seminary associated with Grace Community Church from 88-92 to get my Masters of Divinity.

Following this I did some ministry service as an associate pastor and then in the spring of 2000 God brought a group of 30 of us together to plant SouthWest Community Church. This was an amazing journey as God grew this young church and brought people to Himself and built others up in their faith. Then in the spring of 2006 God led us to transition to become Harvest London and we excitedly are advancing into the future He has for us.

Our lives and hopefully our church are all about Him – serving Him, loving Him, honouring Him as we look forward to His return!

And now for some trivia about Norm:

Quick take: at my age and size I don't do anything quick anymore.

Born: London, Ontario

Little-known facts about me: I sky-dived twice... and landed both times! I am a Vantage Computer system expert ... or used to be as I guess time is passing me by!

I hope heaven includes: heaven is perfect so what can you hope for which won't be there?

My life's aphorism: I had no idea what 'aphorism' meant. So I looked it up - 'a concise statement of a principle'. Which still does not help me for I cannot say anything in a 'concise' manner.

I'd like to say to the people of Harvest: Thanks for doing life together with me and allowing me the indescribable privilege of studying God's Word and teaching each week. This life-long journey serving the King with all of you really is a blast!

Things I do not want to live without: God, His Word, His Holy Spirit, His forgiveness, my family, and the people of Harvest

Hope to someday hear: of course - those wonderful words from our Lord - well done good and faithful one! Galatians 1:10 is a place I am learning to live 'For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.' I want to serve all of you well and to be effective but ultimately it is only the opinion of One which must drive us all.

Most embarrassing moment: high school - I was a nerd!

Passion: Personally - to know and enjoy God forever which is what brings glory to Him (see John Piper's preaching). Ministry passion - to help people discover God and what He has created them to be and then to help them fulfill His calling in their life.

My family: Cindy, my wife of 31 years and I have five wonderful children ranging from ages 13 to 30, a son-in-law from 'down under', a daughter-in-law and four granddaughters and two grandsons (want to see a picture of them all?)! It is a thrill to have all our kids and their spouses partnering with us at Harvest as they actively serve God. They are all a great joy in our lives.

My education: as little as I could get away with in elementary and secondary school. A three year diploma at Fanshawe College in computers (I had a 20 plus year career in the computer industry prior to being called into full-time ministry), and a Master of Divinity degree (sounds stiff and formal doesn't it) from The Master's Seminary in LA. It was such a blessing to attend this school and to spend four years serving and attending Grace Community Church sitting under Dr. John MacArthur's ministry. In December 2009 I was accepted into the DMin program at Southern Seminary in Louisville Kentucky. This is a three year program with the goal of achieving my Doctor of Ministry in preaching which I will be starting in 2010 or 2011.

High: Let's just say somewhere over 250

Low: I think it was 7lbs 15ozs but you would have to ask my mother to be sure as my memory of that day is a little hazy.

Purpose: my purpose is my passion.(519) 668-1977