The Presbytery of Niagara was host to the national church twice this year, bringing hundreds of volunteers together. Brock University in St. Catharines was the site of the 132nd General Assembly in June and Canada Youth 2006 in July. The presbytery has 19 charges and 23 congregations, some with a handful of adherents and others with more than 400 members. But each shares the goal of congregational renewal and re-visioning. Many churches are looking to expand their outreach. Rev. Tijs Theijsmeijer, presbytery clerk, says a future project with Arabic ministries is under consideration. “Hopefully within the next year it'll be an established ministry,” he says.
Located in southern Ontario between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, the presbytery of villages, small towns and cities borders the American border. Tourists from across the world visit the Niagara region for its wines, fruits and entertainment. Surrounded by vibrant attractions, the presbytery is compact in size, taking only about an hour to drive across.
A presbytery evangelism team is available to give churches fresh ideas and advice. The presbytery is working on the Called to Covenant visitation plan to improve congregational visits.
This fall Knox, Welland, started daily prayer meetings. The church's mission statement and goal for the past five years has been “HOPE: Houses of Prayer for Everyone, Everywhere and Everyday.” Rev. Bernard McGale says he is trying to reintroduce the congregation to its Celtic roots. “That prepares us to go out and evangelize.”
St. Andrew's, Welland, is a downtown church averaging 100 people in attendance on Sunday mornings. “We're growing, we're moving in the right direction,” says Rev. Guy Sinclair. The music program is under construction, with a blend of traditional and contemporary music played at services. The congregation is updating its youth programs with a new youth group and Sunday school curriculum.
Rev. Maria Lallouet has a two-point charge at the Hungarian and Crowland churches in Welland. “It's such a joy every time and such a challenge to service such a diverse and totally different congregation,” she says. The Hungarian church has two services on Sunday mornings, one in English and one in Hungarian. The church is implementing a three-year plan for church growth and renewal. Crowland, which celebrates its 180th anniversary this year, is small in numbers but large in faith, says Lallouet.
Rev. Katie Campion has a two-point charge at St. Andrew's, Beamsville and Smithville. The congregations are small but active as they look to reach the “un-churched” population. Beamsville will celebrate its 180th anniversary next May. The church in Smithville is proud of its working manual pump organ, recently declared a historic instrument by the Royal Canadian College of Organists.
The mission team at Knox, Dunnville, has made three trips to Latin American in the past five years, focusing on its twin church in El Salvador. Closer to home, Knox runs a monthly community kitchen where participants help plan and make four meals to take home. Along with four other local groups, the church envisions a joint community project for people in need. Last year, Knox worked on spiritual discovery, using resources from the national church.
In Fort Erie, St. Andrew's-Knox is a small congregation focusing on ministry and mission. The church is part of an ecumenical group running a Saturday Lunch Program in the community. This fall, Rev. Cameron Bigelow says his church will use a resource on stewardship and put effort and energy into looking at its objectives. “We're getting people to do what we don't do often—looking at ourselves in terms of the gospel and the gospel mandate,” he says.
Chippawa in southern Niagara Falls is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year. Rev. Doug Schonberg says the majority of adults in the church attend some sort of spiritual learning group. The church pioneered a free online Bible study called The Discipleship Project, reaching people all over the continent. An online study guide and workshop provider, the three-year-old project is currently the church's “biggest claim to fame,” says Schonberg. With just under 200 members, Chippawa is active in mission projects, sending 30 people to Nicaragua and collecting items for the local food bank. The church is working on a strategic plan to expand its local and global reach.
Sitting on the highest point in the Niagara Falls region, Drummond Hill has a long church history. “We're in a big study mode at the moment,” says Rev. Wally Hong, Drummond Hill's minister since July 2006. With more than 200 members, the older congregation hopes to start a youth group in the next couple of years and is evaluating its agenda.
Stamford is the first church built in Upper Canada by public subscription in 1784 and now is in the historical northern Niagara Falls suburbs. Rev. Pieter Greyling says youth are the focus right now. A successful program called LOGOS—a ministry for adults, youth and children used in different North American congregations—runs for about 16 weeks at a time. Once-a-week meetings feature crafts, games, Bible stories and dinner.
The challenge is to reach out to the neighbourhood and new people moving into the area. “We need to gear our ministry to them,” Greyling says.
St. Andrew's, Niagara-on-the-Lake, was established in 1794 and destroyed in the War of 1812. Rev. Gordon Ford says changes in the past few years include an increase in attendance at the church, which now has more than 250 members. The dedication of a new pipe organ occurred in the fall. The church's main fundraising event is an annual strawberry festival that draws thousands of people.
First, Port Colborne has an active congregation in the presbytery's southern town. The congregation averages 85 on Sundays and has the challenge of meeting in an oversized building, says Rev. Jack Neil. The congregation consists mainly of seniors, and is looking to attract younger people and develop the church school.
Neil is also the interim moderator for the Kirk-on-the-Hill congregation in Fonthill, a town about 25 minutes north of Port Colborne. He says next year the congregation will be seeking a new minister, and in the meantime they have pulpit supply each week. Neil says the group is active. “A very good feeling is coming back among the congregation.”
Rev. Mary Whitson has a two-point charge at North Pelham, First and Rockway. St. Andrew's, Thorold, has several active groups, and offers the Alpha program. St. Andrew's, St. Catharines, is a small congregation that has recently started sharing its church building with a Spanish-speaking Protestant community. “That's been a growing experience,” says Rev. Linda Robinson. In the southeast corner of the city, St. Andrew's has an average of about 30 people attending Sunday services. “I think the greatest change has been a sense of future, the sense that you know we're small but things are happening,” says Robinson.
Scottlea, St. Catharines, is just over 40 years old. Rev. Martin Wehrmann says the church is in a building phase designed to assist accessibility and fellowship. A mix of Presbyterians from across Canada and other parts of the world enriches the congregation.
Mission work is a focus at St. Giles, St. Catharines. The church rotates four-month mission projects, such as supporting a room for Hospice Niagara. The large congregation has a contemporary and traditional service, with interesting summer series topics like “Canadian Idols.” A labyrinth and outdoor meditation garden are well visited and cared for by the congregation.
St. David's First is a small congregation with fewer than 15 people at an average Sunday service, but it is growing and looking towards a new vision. The church is now in use by the Village Bible Church, giving it “a new lease on life,” says Rev. Paul Shobridge.
Shobridge has a two-point charge with West St. Andrew's, St. Catharines. He says the congregation is also seeking a vision and is looking to appeal to the nearby youth at Brock University.
Inspired by Matthew 28, Knox, St. Catharines, seeks to go into the world and create disciples. The downtown church takes part in an Out of the Cold program with other churches in the community to provide a place where homeless people can stay overnight in the cold months. The congregation supports a local drop-in centre for youth and Hospice Niagara. Its mission projects in India include digging a well in a small community and helping to immunize children.
Knox's youth group has joined with three other downtown congregations and will focus on discipleship and everyday faith this year. “We are a net exporter of youth,” says Rev. Graham Kennedy. “So the challenge is to build up the church for young people.”
Like many in the presbytery, Kennedy says his congregation helped to raise funds for the General Assembly, “The people did it gladly. They're quite proud of our national church.” The presbytery works well together, “and in other ways, we're quite independent,” he says—a “community of communities.”
