There is a propensity for forward-thinking and innovative ministers who aren't afraid to push the limits in the Presbytery of Barrie. While remaining Presbyterian, they have embraced the 21st century with contemporary worship, a renewed focus on outreach and evangelism to win people to Christ, and pared-down services that appeal to younger and/or unchurched folk.
At St. Andrew's, Orillia, (est. 1851), the session-appointed future growth team recently released a report to inspire change. Extensive research and reading, church and leadership consultants, congregation and community surveys and personal interviews all helped formulate the report, which has been in the works for nine months. Since January, Rev. Doug Johns has been preaching high-energy, motivational messages “to cultivate a spirit of receptivity and the courage to change.” Still, Johns knows not everyone will be receptive.
“I know we have some very nervous people right now. The team talked about everything — we agreed there would be no sacred cows,” he said. Unanimously adopted by session in March, the 35-page report will have significant implications on everything from staffing for more effective ministry, to endowment funds, to session structure.
“It has the potential to launch us to new heights,” said Johns, who leads a congregation of about 300. “Mainline churches must be willing to take this risk. The status quo does not grow. It takes gutsy leadership to do more than just rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.”
St. Andrew's revamped its sound system a year ago. In a traditional sanctuary, a state-of-the-art visual presentation system was installed. The cost was about $160,000, which was covered by a donation. “We are a traditional congregation in a traditional building attempting to renew our ministry and mission,” said Johns, who encourages others to look at the possibilities for their sanctuaries — even if they are housed in old, steeple-style churches that may not seem conducive to modern additions. “I planned carefully how and when to set this project in motion. It was finished two and a half years after the donor first approached me!”
Rev. Carey Nieuwhof knows all about change. He has watched Trinity Community Presbyterian Church in Oro go from three dying congregations into one amalgamated church with about 850 people in attendance each Sunday.
Meeting at first in a school, the congregation moved into its new 18,000-square-foot facility in 2003. The congregation didn't take long to develop a mission, a vision and a heart for reaching and discipling unchurched people. Generation Next was launched in 2004 at Trinity as an effort to equip the wider church to minister in new ways. In its first year, the conference attracted 400 leaders from across Canada for two days of training, worship and inspiration.
Trinty has seen particular growth in the under-40 age group, a conscious target of the leadership team. The church is already full and to make room for more, the congregation recently moved to three Sunday services. A Wednesday evening service is also offered.
“Six years ago, I almost convinced myself that there were not a lot of people of a younger age group in our community,” said Nieuwhof, “but with prayerful courage, three years ago, we decided to target them. And now, our biggest growth is in the 18-30 age group.”
The Sunday message at Trinity is tailored less to existing believers and more to the friends of believers who are invited to come along. Worship involves contemporary Christian and mainstream music and the “cultural baggage” of the church is cast aside in favour of communication that is “simple, clear and profound” and presents the truth of God in “a timely, relevant container.”
Nieuwhof said people are willing to learn about Jesus, they just need to be approached in ways that are relevant and meaningful to their lives. He noted that many congregations in the presbytery, whether big or small, are in the midst of growth and change, and seeing the fruit of their ministry. “It's encouraging to see that when congregations understand the Biblical challenge and respond in a culturally appropriate way, God does everything He promises He will do. And I have endless excitement for that. It blows me away.”
The massive changes happening at Trinity — with worship that some would say is so contemporary it can barely be called Presbyterian — make some church-goers uncomfortable. Others would argue that prodding people out of their comfort zones is exactly what the denomination needs. “The presbytery is in a constant state of change,” said Rev. Jim Sitler, presbytery clerk. “And that can be good, challenging and frustrating.”
Sitler is minister at Knox, Gravenhurst, and the town's fire department chaplain. The congregation shows its respect for firefighters everywhere with its annual firefighters' service. Local emergency workers gather at Knox to pay tribute to the people who died during the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Sitler noted that some congregations are still coming out of past difficulties (which has fostered a desire to rebuild, refocus and reenergize their mission and vision), and relationships within the presbytery are sometimes strained. There was an appeal to General Assembly last year to resolve a disagreement with a congregation. (It was judged in the presbytery's favour.) “There is definitely the need for healing in some congregations, and cause for celebration in others,” he said. “It's a working presbytery.”
Although things are far from perfect — intensified by the recent denominational call for presbyteries to contribute more money towards new church development and redevelopment — there are reasons for hope. The presbytery's location is situated in one of the fastest-growing areas in Canada. “So we're in the potential position to reach out into an ever-expanding community,” said Sitler, who has been a member of presbytery for 15 years. “We represent larger cities like Barrie with 100,000 people to very small rural towns and everything in between. We have a good variety of leadership styles. We're one of the largest presbyteries in the denomination, and we reflect that.”
Knox, Midland, which began as a mission station in 1874, is in the midst of affecting change. The congregation's mantra of “Dress is whatever. Music is today,” points to Midland's commitment to offering an approachable, welcoming, simple environment for people uneasy about going to church. Knox' seven-year plan sets goals and guidelines for creating effective outreach to the unchurched in Southern Georgian Bay, and moving to a new facility if needed.
The plan outlines annual themes — all of which are designed to reach out to and attract newcomers and will be used for preaching, study and publicity. This year's theme (the first in the series) is “Let there be light.” Goals over the seven years include focusing on outreach to people without a church home, a campaign of awareness of the needs around the church, transformation of the church building, developing a compelling Internet presence, financial empowerment, new developments for evangelism, worship, nurture and service, and an annual assessment.
The quest to bring the church into the 21st century continues at St. Marks, Orillia, (est. 1957) where the congregation has set three major objectives: to double attendance through strong ministry to younger families and children, to encourage and help the people of St. Mark's have a greater spiritual awareness in every aspect of their lives, and to increase the congregation's ability to effectively share the gospel with people who are not associated with a church.
The congregation addresses community concerns relating to poverty, teenage pregnancy and unemployment, and raises money for its outreach projects through silent auctions, yard sales, suppers and personal donations. One particularly successful initiative was the Presbyterian Potato Project, an activity involving the entire congregation in the growing, harvesting and selling of potatoes and other vegetables. Stands were maintained at local farmer's markets throughout the summer, and some of the produce was donated to local food banks and shelters.
The Presbytery of Barrie dates back to the very first General Assembly of the PCC in June 1875. The first presbytery meeting was held the next month, and the complete presbytery minutes since that time are housed in the archives at the national office. The presbytery's 32 charges and 41 congregations make it one of the largest in the church. Nine pulpits are vacant, although there are 20 congregations with membership over 100 and 11 with more than 100 in attendance each Sunday. Between 2003 and 2004, membership, adherents and attendance increased significantly.
As several congregations look for ways to make dramatic changes, many others are taking smaller steps, but still with the aim of reaching out to the people around them. At First, Collingwood, where the congregation celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2005, several projects serve aging members of the church and the community. The pastoral care team visits nursing homes, a telecare program ensures people are phoned between visits, the outreach singers take their music ministry to retirement communities, and the Let's Do Lunch program offers a monthly luncheon for seniors complete with musical entertainment.
Ivy Presbyterian in New Tecumseth will be taking its mission south when 26 people travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in August. They will help rebuild several houses that were severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The congregation is hosting a concert in June called the Katrina Bluegrass Benefit to raise money for the trip. The event will feature some of the best bluegrass bands in Canada, and will kick off a focus to help hurricane survivors for the next few years. (click here for more details.)
Knox, Bracebridge, (which marked its 130th anniversary last year by raising $7,800 to dig a well in Malawi) has several projects on the go. It offers a weekly Wednesday family night, where families gather for a potluck dinner. Afterwards they break according to age groups — children, teens and adults — for Bible study and worship. Rev. Michael Barnes leads the adults. In operation for four years, about 30 people (and sometimes as many as 50) between the ages of 10 months and 75 years participate.
Intergenerational activities such as this are important at Knox. Their chancel drama group has been going for four years, producing 21 plays involving 77 people between the ages of five and 80. The congregation also honoured the Year of the Veteran with a production of World War I and II songs. The choir sang more than 25 songs in the play set in a military canteen with a love story weaving throughout. The event raised more than $2,000 for PWS&D's AIDS projects.
At First, Penetanguishene, the congregation is heavily involved in a partnership with a school in Africa. Their Mozambique Project paid for a new building, along with supplies and teachers' salary at the Chabwe primary school in Gurue. One teacher used to teach all 70 students. Today, there are 100 kids attending, and a second teacher has been hired.
“It is so important to our congregation to know that they can and do make a difference,” said Mary Sheriff, chair of the missions team. “We are delighted to know that as we search for a new minister, we have the prayers of our Mozambique friends. It is indeed a small world as we sit in the caring hands of our mutual Father.”
Reaching out is a priority at St. Andrew's, Coldwater. One of its most recent initiatives is a water campaign — a focus adopted by last year's General Assembly. The Enough for All campaign promotes clean, abundant water as a basic human right and works to ensure access for all. The Sunday school's Advent project involved handing out bottled water to the congregation along with “action cards” to be signed and sent to the federal government. The youth group is also supporting the campaign and is helping to educate the congregation about the denomination's involvement. A wake-a-thon raised additional funds for this mission.
St. Andrew's, Barrie, (est. 1849), is actively involved in Taizé prayer services as an alternative form of worship — something that came to the Barrie area two years ago and now involves several denominations. The first service was hosted by St. Andrew's. Since then, six other churches, including Westminster, Barrie, have joined to host Taizé prayer services on the last Friday of each month.
Attendance varies, but there are generally 40 to 80 people at any given service. “Quiet prayer and meditation can help people overwhelmed by the complexities of life to reconnect to their faith in God,” said Susan Stott-Hood, an elder at St. Andrew's. “Taizé offers a peaceful philosophy that is worth investigating.”
Wasaga Beach Community Presbyterian is using its gifts to serve an ecumenical community-wide endeavour. Five months ago, the local food bank and thrift store was closed, leaving the town's less-fortunate population without a valuable service. Community members immediately rallied together, and since February, eight churches have been hosting the Wasaga Beach Ministerial Food Bank as an interim solution. “We needed to ensure those who needed to be fed would be fed. It was clearly our responsibility, our call,” said Rev. Julia Morden.
The three-month interim plan included opening the food bank two days a week and one evening, and remaining in the same location. “We set a bare bones budget and I started the work for acceptance by the Ontario Association of Food Banks,” said Morden. (Becoming a member of the association ensures start-up food donations from them.) “There have been a number of volunteers, and all have been a blessing.”
About 18 daily volunteers serve the 80 families, 50 individuals and 132 children who traditionally use the food bank each month. Long-term plans, including moving to a new location, are already in the works. There are dreams of a community kitchen, a coffee corner, a meditation centre, counselling rooms and job placement boards.
“The most wonderful thing is that we are working together,” said Morden. “Each week the needs list goes out to the churches and each week we have been blessed with the responses. Because the churches are working together, the town has given the new food bank $5,000 toward expenses, and the service clubs and businesses have been supportive in a variety of ways.
“We only just started but the amazing feeling of the churches working together to help those in need is right. It is our calling. One only needs to read the Gospel to hear and understand that.”
