From November 17-20, 2009, officers and lay leaders representing Salvation Army congregations across the territory attended Renov8, a church planting congress in Calgary that included delegates from over 30 denominations.

Church Planting Canada has held a national congress in different parts of the country every two years since 1997. This network of leaders desires to “see every neighbourhood transformed through the presence of multiplying, missional communities.”

The Salvation Army has been an influential partner in this network at both the national and regional levels. While the 2009 congress attracted a total of 724 registrants, the real work of Church Planting Canada happens in the regional networks where denominational and congregational leaders work together to provide ministry training and resources out of a common partnership in the gospel.

This congress was designated a “mission critical” event as The Salvation Army has always been a movement that has sought to do whatever it takes to reach the “whosoever”—church planting is part of our mission.

Themes included joining in God's mission and taking seriously the cultural, social and spiritual issues present in the neighbourhoods around us. Speakers from Australia (Michael Frost), England (Juliet Kilpin and Stuart Murray) and Montreal (Glenn Smith) acknowledged the challenges of ministering in societies that are increasingly secular. They also expressed a common hope, that congregations humbly serving their communities can effectively develop relationships, initiate conversations about Jesus and contribute to transformation.

One speaker who provoked a standing ovation was Wagdi Iskander, a one-time Sudanese refugee and former Muslim who now pastors an Edmonton church. His conversion was a dramatic one that, in many ways, mirrored the story of Saul in the Book of Acts. He challenged all participants to consider that loving sacrifice is necessary to effective mission.

We asked Army leaders who attended Renov8 about their hopes, plans and challenges. They have shared their hearts in the write-ups below. Some are experienced church planters, others are passionate about revitalizing congregations, and still others are just at the dreaming stage. As you read their stories, think about your own context. God may be calling you to build the Kingdom in your own unique way.

James Watson is the consultant for church planting and congregational revitalization in the Corps Ministries Department. Visit churchplantingcanada.ca and thecongress.ca to learn more about Renov8.

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The Planters

Major Mark Wagner
Westsong Community Church, Victoria

In the 1880s, Commissioner Elijah Cadman went to York in the north of England. There, over the course of the decade, he planted eight new corps and several other “smaller places.” I couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between that fact and the reality that in 1992 the Canada and Bermuda Territory had 404 corps but today has only 311. What is going on? Has our sense of mission evaporated?

It has not. The mission of the Army pulsates incessantly below the surface. It keeps rhythm with the heart of God. It finds its echo in the hearts of church planters. These Kingdom harvesters see the need for new expressions of the Army to crop up in every city and neighbourhood in Canada. And they are doing something about it.

The recent church planting congress in Calgary brought together hundreds of Christians who are passionate about starting new worshipping communities. They see opportunities to start outposts of the Kingdom in houses, abandoned church buildings, movie theatres and malls.

At Westsong Community Church in Victoria, we meet in the theatre of a local middle school. When planting Richmond Hill Community Church in Ontario, we met in the cafeteria of a high school. In both cases, we started with a small but fantastic group of people whose commitment to mission forged them into lean, mean fighting teams. Today Westsong has gathered another group of people who have a passion to plant in the rural town of Metchosin, B.C., made up of 5,000 people living just west of Victoria.

How will we do it? One time Jesus asked his followers to feed 5,000 people. They didn't have many resources, just five loaves and two fish. But they gave what they had to him. He then blessed it and gave it back to them. We're going to get the job done in the same way: giving God what we have and letting him multiply it in our hands for his own glory. We have the bread of life. We should really share it.

What is a fledgling church like Westsong doing starting another church? We are following the missio Dei—the mission of God. It doesn't take many people to form a plant team: perhaps 10 or 12. But it does take a lot of passion for mission and a vision for what God can do in a new neighbourhood.

It may take a re-alignment of your core values. Where do you spend most of your time at church? Where do you think God wants you to spend your time? Maybe God is calling you to join a plant team and reach out to a new neighbourhood with his good news.

I believe we can turn around the Army's decreasing numbers. I believe we can grow as quickly in the 21st century as we did in the 19th―if our hearts beat in time with the missional heart of God.

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Captain Danny Pinksen
Pathway Community Church, Paradise, N.L.

If Shakespeare were a church leader today, he would probably ask, “Church plants or no church plants? That is the question.” It's a topic of debate in many denominations, including The Salvation Army. But no one can argue with the fact that church and secular culture have become increasingly polarized. Today's unchurched demographic views the established church with growing cynicism.

It sounds much like the context in which Apostle Paul and the Booths commenced their respective ministries. The New Testament depicts Paul travelling from town to town, establishing various expressions of the local church. The Booths sought to provide relevant and meaningful opportunities for people to experience God and the church in a radical, transformative way.

Given The Salvation Army's decline in church attendance over the past decade, church planting is a viable and necessary opportunity to grow God's Kingdom. Church plants are well positioned to meet the needs of a community because they are both contextually and culturally relevant. Renov8 plenary speaker Michael Frost asserts that effective churches can look different, feel different and be different while being divinely-anointed, transformational influences in today's world.

In our context, Pathway Community Church serves the suburban, middle-class community of Paradise, N.L. For the past four and a half years, my wife, Lori, and I have witnessed God raise up Pathway, a congregation of people from all walks of life who desire to connect with God and community. We have experienced God's hand of blessing and guidance on all aspects of church life, from community involvement to atheists being saved. We desire that people will experience how great our God is and how effective his Church can be.

The Apostle Paul stated: “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). This is our daily goal at Pathway.

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The Revitalizers

Captain Gerald Reilly
Westminster Park, London, Ont.

One of the questions asked at Renov8 was, “If your church were to close tomorrow, would your community grieve?” Westminster Park just celebrated 25 years in southeast London, but at present only a small portion of those who attend the corps are from the immediate community. The corps is predominately inward focused, ministering to the members. Sadly, few in the community would grieve if our doors closed tomorrow.

Last summer I read through the Minor Prophets. God impressed upon me the need to return to him, to once again make him the passion of our lives. This vision is shared by others in the corps who are thirsting for the same thing. Like Israel of old, we need reviving. We have fallen into a predictable pattern of comfortable Christianity. Only a renewed people can daily pick up their cross and follow.

Westminster is comprised of subsidized housing, condominiums, rentals and single family dwellings. Although multicultural, it is still predominately British/European. The London housing complex alone is home to over 160 families of varying sizes and forms, and over 125 children aged five to 12. We are also adjacent to a large high school and near to three public elementary schools.

Each Wednesday, 60-75 high school students come to the corps for lunch. We have growing cradle roll and Pioneer Club numbers. There are many single mothers and fathers, as well as a large senior population. We are located near two nursing homes and Victoria Hospital.

A small nucleus has come together with a vision for renewal and revival, meeting each week for prayer and Bible study. We called the church to a day of prayer and fasting early in January, and will screen videos from Renvo8.

The confirmation I received at Renov8 was an answer to prayer—we are moving in the right direction. We have seen spiritual growth in individuals, with some stepping forward to take on new ministries.

This conference has invigorated my Salvationism—a passion for the lost. Although we may go into the community with different methods than those employed by our forebears, the mission remains the same.

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Major Erin Verhey-Johnson
Woodroffe Community Ministry Centre, Ottawa

When my name was put forward to attend the church planting congress, I felt daunted. I didn't feel I fit the profile of a “church planter.” Last year I was appointed as chaplain for the Bethany Hope Community Centre, which does not yet exist. At the same time, I was asked to pastor a group of Salvationists who would form the nucleus of the faith community within the centre. I wondered what my new appointment had in common with a church planting conference. Yet, when I arrived for the first session it was clear that I was in the right place at the right time.

The theme of the congress was discovering God's mission, whether in a new plant or an existing church's revitalization. The congress did not focus on programs, methods or formulas. What was the consistent message? God is at work in our communities and he is inviting us to join him in what he is doing. This is a message I understand. In fact, this is the message that we, the church at The Salvation Army Bethany Hope Faith Community, have been exploring since our first service in May 2009.

Our faith community meets for worship on the former site of the Woodroffe Community Church, which has been transplanted to a community in the south of Ottawa. Woodroffe is committed to continuing three of their community outreach programs on the old site. Within months, we will pull up stakes while the building is refitted to become a community centre. When the renovations are completed we will move back in along with Bethany Hope Centre, a ministry for young parents and their children. There will be Salvation Army community and family services for the first time in the west end of Ottawa. Public relations and development and the office of the area commander will also be on site. As a faith community we are excited to be a part of this new beginning.

Change is never easy. It is so much more comforting to look back than it is to look forward, to continue doing what we have always done. Yet, we are learning that, as we obey him, God will accomplish his work through us.

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The Dreamers

Captain Jason Sabourin
The Salvation Army Red Deer Church and Community and
Family Services, Red Deer, Alta.

The vision that God has laid upon our hearts is not new. It is to live Kingdom lives in a hurting world, serving others without restriction. God's mission is to redeem his whole creation and he has chosen to partner with people to do this. Our efforts are concentrated in finding the expression of this where we are in Red Deer.

My wife, Tammy, and I have a burden on our hearts to re-ignite the passion in people's hearts. There is a growing apathy in the Church, which has prevented us from going into the world to make disciples. There is a passivity that has encroached upon our souls that has left us dry and useless for mission.

It's obvious that the Church in Canada is in drastic decline, regardless of denomination. Revitalization and church planting are the only options. Of course there are no easy answers as to what revitalization means. Starting points may include understanding cultural mindsets, targeting different generations, and encouraging freedom and creativity.

At the conference, however, one thing became very clear: God is still working and redeeming people regardless of what the Church is doing. He is not bound by human expectation, traditions or structures.

Jesus has said that the gates of Hell will not prevail against his Church and I believe it. Whether we are part of his mission depends on whether we will choose to follow him, even if it leads us into some uncomfortable places.

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Major Ron Cartmell
Kelowna Community Church, Kelowna, B.C.

In years past, church planting in most denominations fit nicely into a few particular “boxes.” From what I heard at the Renov8 congress, I think it is fair to say that the boxes are now broken! There is such variety in the way that churches are being planted and the places that church is happening.

The common theme was how “mission focused” new churches are becoming. The mission is so much bigger than we have previously expressed. It is clear that our paradigm is starting to shift. God's desire to reconcile the world is greater than having someone pray the “sinner's prayer.” As Christians, God is calling us to so much more. It is exciting to see how this is beginning to happen across our nation.

What surprised me most at this gathering was the number of bi-vocational pastors I met that are planting churches. My initial thought was that this group of men and women that have part-time employment to subsidize their planting ministry would be primarily of the younger generation. I was taken aback to realize that there are as many pastors over 40 that are invested in bi-vocational ministry as there are of the younger generation. As Alberta's regional co-ordinator for Church Planting Canada, it was heartwarming to listen to some of their stories and learn how God is using them in Kingdom work.

I was encouraged by the role that The Salvation Army is taking in Church Planting Canada and the focus that we gave to this event. God has given us a unique position in his Kingdom work.