The evidence of community

Would your community miss your church if it was gone? This question resonates deeply with church planter Chris Stevens. Stevens and his wife planted The Gathering, an Ottawa church, two years ago and it was with evident passion that he answered the question with an emphatic “Yes!”

Stevens, who attended Imagine 2007 Canadian Church Planting Congress, Nov. 14–16, shared how God is moving in their new church’s midst. “We’ve intentionally built a relationship with our community and, as a result, the local community association has invited us to join its board,” says Stevens. “The association said that without The Gathering, our community would not have been able to offer the events enjoyed over the past year.”

Imagine 2007 delegates (from l–r), Patrice Nagant, Francois Vermet, John Neufeld, Gilles Dextrase, and Sandy Smith

Despite all kinds of opposition, Stevens says God has been good to their ministry by raising up leaders within six months of their arrival and providing $17,000 in 30 days as well as unsolicited media coverage by the Ottawa Sun and CTV Television with church opening reports.

“The greatest answer to prayer has been transformed lives,” adds Stevens. “Sixty percent of our congregation has come to know Christ in the last year and a half.” The Gathering is now planning a multi-church site (one church, many locations).

Sonny Mandagie

Stevens says he found the sharing times among Mennonite Brethren attendees at lunches, dinners, and breakout sessions to be the most encouraging part of the Imagine 2007 event. One example was Sonny Mandagie, pastor of House for All Nations, who shared how his Vancouver church ministers in many languages, including Indonesian, Mandarin, English, and Korean.

Fred Leonard

Another highlight was Fred Leonard, former member of Willingdon Church in B.C. and now pastor of Mountain View Community Church in Fresno, Cal., who shared how the church is beginning a school for church planters. Mountain View has more than 10 interns each year and helped start 26 churches.

Ewald Unruh, director of Multiplying Church Ministries for the Canadian conference, said attendees weren’t just there to talk, but to make a commitment to action. They encouraged each other by sharing testimonies and imagining what the future could be.

—CCMBC release