Difference between revisions of "Southridge Community Church (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada)"
| [checked revision] | [checked revision] |
SamSteiner (talk | contribs) |
SamSteiner (talk | contribs) m (Text replacement - "|a1_last=Steiner|a1_first=Sam|" to "|a1_last=Steiner|a1_first=Samuel J.|") |
||
| (2 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 9: | Line 9: | ||
By 2003 the congregation had outgrown its location, and desired to have a greater impact on St. Catharines, especially among the poor and marginalized. It moved to Glenridge Avenue in St. Catharines, where it was renamed the Southridge Community Church. Within the first year it became a host location for "Out of the Cold" (emergency wintertime accommodation), and in 2005, in partnership with Ontario Works, Niagara Health System, and Housing Help, it opened the Southridge Shelter as a year-round homeless shelter with 27 beds for men and eight for women. It also developed services to marginalized seniors, and ministries to single-parent families. | By 2003 the congregation had outgrown its location, and desired to have a greater impact on St. Catharines, especially among the poor and marginalized. It moved to Glenridge Avenue in St. Catharines, where it was renamed the Southridge Community Church. Within the first year it became a host location for "Out of the Cold" (emergency wintertime accommodation), and in 2005, in partnership with Ontario Works, Niagara Health System, and Housing Help, it opened the Southridge Shelter as a year-round homeless shelter with 27 beds for men and eight for women. It also developed services to marginalized seniors, and ministries to single-parent families. | ||
| − | Southridge also developed a vision to become a multi-site church. In 2009 Gateway Christian Fellowship, a 10-year-old church plant in St. Catharines voted to merge with Southridge and became the North End campus of Southridge in 2010. This campus ended prior to 2016. A Welland campus was launched on 8 November 2009 with a focused ministry towards single-parent families. In 2012 Southridge "adopted" Vineland Mennonite Brethren Church as the fourth of their sites. The focus of this campus became ministry to Caribbean migrant workers who worked on local farms. | + | Southridge also developed a vision to become a multi-site church. In 2009 [[Gateway Christian Fellowship (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada)|Gateway Christian Fellowship]], a 10-year-old church plant in St. Catharines voted to merge with Southridge and became the North End campus of Southridge in 2010. This campus ended prior to 2016. A Welland campus was launched on 8 November 2009 with a focused ministry towards single-parent families. In 2012 Southridge "adopted" Vineland Mennonite Brethren Church as the fourth of their sites. The focus of this campus became ministry to Caribbean migrant workers who worked on local farms. |
In 2017 the campuses in St. Catharines, Welland and Vineland continued, | In 2017 the campuses in St. Catharines, Welland and Vineland continued, | ||
| Line 35: | Line 35: | ||
''When Your Children Shall Ask: A History of the Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, 1957-1982.'' 1982: 79-81. | ''When Your Children Shall Ask: A History of the Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, 1957-1982.'' 1982: 79-81. | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
= Additional Information = | = Additional Information = | ||
| Line 95: | Line 93: | ||
| 2015 || 350 | | 2015 || 350 | ||
|} | |} | ||
| − | {{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=February 2017|a1_last=Steiner|a1_first= | + | {{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=February 2017|a1_last=Steiner|a1_first=Samuel J.|a2_last=Thiessen|a2_first=Richard D.}} |
[[Category:Churches]] | [[Category:Churches]] | ||
[[Category:Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches Congregations]] | [[Category:Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches Congregations]] | ||
Revision as of 21:16, 29 October 2019
Southridge Community Church in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada began in Louth Township, just west of St. Catharines, Ontario, in 1979 after the public school board decided to close the Fairview Public School in that community. Louth Township had been identified as a possible location for a church plant, so a group of Ontario Mennonite Brethren purchased the school for $81,000, with some assistance in a the down payment from local Mennonite Brethren churches.
The original members came from the Grantham Mennonite Brethren, Fairview Mennonite Brethren and Vineland Mennonite Brethren churches. The first Sunday public service was held 3 February 1980; an official opening of the sanctuary constructed from two former classrooms took place 1 June 1980. The congregation formally organized under the name of Fairview Louth Mennonite Brethren Community Church. It had 49 charter members. It operated without a local pastor until September 1980 when John Eckert, a high school vice principal, was hired on a part time basis.
The original sanctuary proved inadequate, and in late 1982 work began on an addition, which included a sanctuary, basement and kitchen. It was dedicated on 15 May 1983. An additional expansion took place in 1991 with a new youth room, nursery and elevator.
By 2003 the congregation had outgrown its location, and desired to have a greater impact on St. Catharines, especially among the poor and marginalized. It moved to Glenridge Avenue in St. Catharines, where it was renamed the Southridge Community Church. Within the first year it became a host location for "Out of the Cold" (emergency wintertime accommodation), and in 2005, in partnership with Ontario Works, Niagara Health System, and Housing Help, it opened the Southridge Shelter as a year-round homeless shelter with 27 beds for men and eight for women. It also developed services to marginalized seniors, and ministries to single-parent families.
Southridge also developed a vision to become a multi-site church. In 2009 Gateway Christian Fellowship, a 10-year-old church plant in St. Catharines voted to merge with Southridge and became the North End campus of Southridge in 2010. This campus ended prior to 2016. A Welland campus was launched on 8 November 2009 with a focused ministry towards single-parent families. In 2012 Southridge "adopted" Vineland Mennonite Brethren Church as the fourth of their sites. The focus of this campus became ministry to Caribbean migrant workers who worked on local farms.
In 2017 the campuses in St. Catharines, Welland and Vineland continued,
Bibliography
Braun, Karla. "Church partnership 'remarkable to see'." Mennonite Brethren Herald 49, no. 5 (May 2010): 19.
Braun, Karla. "Expressing common humanity." Mennonite Brethren Heald 51, no. 8 (August 2012): 13
Esau, Maggie. "New facilities in an old style." Mennonite Brethren Herald 30, no. 22 (22 November 1991): 16.
"Fairview-Louth Mennonite Brethren Community Church." Mennonite Brethren Herald 27, no. 11 (27 May 1988): 52.
Friesen, Rudy. "Building on long-time ties with community." Mennonite Brethren Herald 19, no. 3 (1 February 1980): 17.
Friesen, Rudy. "Old school keeps its place in community." Mennonite Brethren Herald 19, no. 14 (18 July 1980): 28-29.
"It's been a good year." Mennonite Brethren Herald 20, no. 9 (24 April 1981): 17-18.
Mennonite Reporter (3 March 1980): 14.
Penner, Marge. "Fairview-Louth dedicates new sanctuary." Mennonite Brethren Herald 22, no. 13 (8 July 1983): 22.
Weeks, Stacey. "Congregation closes, joins multisite church." Mennonite Brethren Herald 51, no. 2 (February 2012): 21.
When Your Children Shall Ask: A History of the Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, 1957-1982. 1982: 79-81.
Additional Information
Address: 201 Glenridge Avenue, St. Catharines, ON L2T 3J6
St. Catharines Location: 201 Glenridge Avenue, St. Catharines
Welland Location: Welland Community Wellness Centre, 145 Lincoln Street, Welland
Vineland Location: 3970 Glendale Avenue, Vineland
Phone: 905-682-9901
Website: https://southridgechurch.ca/
Denominational Affiliations: Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
Ordained Leaders at Southridge Community Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| John Eckert | 1980-1997 |
| Chris Fowler (Associate) |
1994-1997 2003-present |
| Jeff Lockyer | 1998-present |
| Mike Krause | 1998-present |
| Peter Warkentin | 2005-? |
| Rick Zwiers | 2005-present |
| Ed Willms | 2010-2012 |
| Mark Johnson | 2012-2013? |
| Tim Arnold | 2008-present |
| Mike Meinema | 2016-present |
Membership at Southridge Community Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1980 | 49 |
| 1988 | 87 |
| 1995 | 116 |
| 2005 | 250 |
| 2015 | 350 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J. Steiner |
|---|---|
| Richard D. Thiessen | |
| Date Published | February 2017 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. and Richard D. Thiessen. "Southridge Community Church (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. February 2017. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Southridge_Community_Church_(St._Catharines,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=165554.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. and Richard D. Thiessen. (February 2017). Southridge Community Church (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Southridge_Community_Church_(St._Catharines,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=165554.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.