In the fall of 2023, two members of The Salvation Army Barrhaven Church in Ottawa approached Captain Laura Van Schaick with an idea. They wanted to start a multicultural ministry to reach out to newcomers in their neighbourhood.

“One of these individuals is an immigrant from Venezuela, the other from Korea,” says Captain Laura, who serves as a pastor at Barrhaven Church. “They understood what it is to be a newcomer to Canada and wanted to help support others in their transition to our country.”

Birth of a Multicultural Ministry

The result: a multicultural ministries program. One of the features of the ministry is an English conversation class, aiding new Canadians to feel at home in their community.

Love New Canadians (lovenewcanadians.ca), a Salvation Army mission partner that works with local churches, supported Barrhaven Church with English conversation class resources as they planned and carried out their ministry to immigrants, refugees and newcomers.

The people at Barrhaven Church thought English classes would be the best way to reach out to their neighbourhood. They knew how essential language is to help individuals feel they belong in a new country and culture. Communication is also vital for education, employment and making friends. A quick search for similar opportunities in the area yielded few results, which proved to the team that this was a niche they could fill.

Although it took a year to launch the program, Captain Laura explains, it was worth all the effort. 

“As a pastor,” she says, “part of my role involves supporting church members in using their God-given gifts to help make our community the best it can be.”

She loved helping these two individuals build a team, develop a program plan and network with community partners to launch the church’s multicultural ministries in the fall of 2024.

Flourishing Relationships

Captain Laura was encouraged by the enthusiastic response to the startup of the English conversation classes. Many members of the Barrhaven congregation and community partners stepped up to volunteer.

“On a regular basis, about 10 church members are involved in the classes,” Captain Laura shares.

But Captain Laura didn’t just encourage her congregation to get involved in the classes; she also played a part in their success. She personally facilitated some of the sessions and finds great joy in the ministry.

“I’ve learned a lot about the participants’ countries of origin—they come from 19 different countries, including China, Costa Rica and Morocco—just as I have been able to share our distinctive Canadian culture,” she says. “A woman from Iran came early to one of the conversation classes and gave me a haircut. (She worked in this field before coming to Canada.) I’ve collaborated with an Afghani woman to write an article in Faith & Friends’ sister magazine, Salvationist, about the struggles of women in her country of origin. I’m thankful for the opportunity to amplify her voice.” 

As well, the church has hosted international potluck meals, which provide opportunity for new Canadians to showcase their delicious ethnic cuisines.

Captain Laura believes this unique ministry has created wonderful opportunities for positive relationships to flourish, and she’s learned and benefited as much from the participants as she hopes they have from the teachers of the classes.

Part of the Community

The Barrhaven congregation has a long history of welcoming new friends to Canada. They’ve sponsored refugee families in the past, most recently welcoming a family from South Sudan in 2018.

Last year a man from Ethiopia who the church supported was able to bring his wife and sons to Canada. The congregation provided support in many practical ways to prepare for their arrival and helped them feel welcomed.

“We have several congregation members who are newcomers to Canada themselves, and the broader church welcomes them fully,” says Captain Laura. “It’s beautiful seeing our congregation become more diverse as new friends to Canada become a part of our faith community.”