Life Point Church (Oshawa, Ontario, Canada)
Life Point Church in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada had its roots in the Ajax Community Church, which began as a church plant in 1998. It initially grew from one Sunday morning service to three and then added a Saturday night service. The group went on to plant churches in other locations in Durham Region, and changed its name to Durham Church Network.
After 2001 and the events of 9-11, the growth ended and attendance collapsed. The leadership changed its philosophy of "attracting" the unchurched to a church building, and embraced the idea of church as community center, in which various secular partners would rent space for programs that would attract many people--churched and unchurched--to the building.
A renewed church plant began in 2005 as part of the Durham Church Network, in cooperation with the Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. At this time the Durham Church Network was a cooperative venture of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec, along with the Mennonite Brethren. In 2006 the congregation became a member of the Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. In June 2007 the congregation changed its name to Clarington Community Church.
In 2011 the Durham Church Network bought the former 27,000 square foot Harmony United Church in Oshawa and converted it into the Harmony Creek Community Centre. The congregation then changed its name to Life Point Church. The renovated building, owned by the congregation, has hosted partners ranging from daycares to fitness programs to literacy training events to support groups for parents and Alcoholics Anonymous. In addition, Life Point offered regular events like breakfast banquets featuring an inspirational Christian speaker, movie nights, and expert-on-the-hot-seat evenings to discuss faith in a non-threatening setting.
Bibliography
"Church becomes Hub for the Community." Mennonite Brethren Herald 51, no. 1 (January 2012): 18.
Fowler, Dave. "From Attractional Church to Church as a Community Centre." Christian & Missionary Alliance. Eastern District. 8 April 2014. Web. 4 February 2017. http://www.easterndistrict.ca/from-attractional-church-to-church-as-community-centre-dave-fowler/.
"Goodbye and Hello in Love Toronto." Mennonite Brethren Herald 43, no. 16 (26 November 2004): 14.
"Oshawa's Harmony United Church closing its doors." Durham Region.com. 16 January 2011. Web. 4 February 2017. http://www.durhamregion.com/community-story/3516720-oshawa-s-harmony-united-church-closing-its-doors/.
Kalmar, Laura. "Three-quarters of a century and going strong." Mennonite Brethren Herald 45, no. 4 (17 March 2006): 14.
Additional Information
Address: 15 Harmony Road North Oshawa, ON L1G 6K8
Phone: 905-725-8463
Website: http://www.lifepointdurham.ca/
Denominational Affiliations:
Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
Ordained Leaders at Life Point Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| David Fowler | 1998-present |
| Author(s) | Sam Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | February 2017 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Sam. "Life Point Church (Oshawa, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. February 2017. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Life_Point_Church_(Oshawa,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=147126.
APA style
Steiner, Sam. (February 2017). Life Point Church (Oshawa, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Life_Point_Church_(Oshawa,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=147126.
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