Archive for May, 2009

The below article was put into the local Stittsville newspaper which was published on May 19, 2009:

CHURCH BUYS MAIN STREET BUILDING

Pastor Steve Stewart in front of newly purchased CBC building

Community Bible Church has just bought the old Active Play building at 1600 Main Street, fulfilling a long-standing dream for a new church home.

The congregation of about 180 people is now applying for renovation permits from the City of Ottawa and hopes to move into the restructured building by September this year.

Already, teams of volunteers are repainting and cleaning up the interior and planting gardens outside the building.

The 17-year-old congregation has been holding Sunday services in schools since the church began – first A. Lorne Cassidy on Hobin Street and now A.Y. Jackson Secondary School in Kanata.

But Pastor Steve Stewart and church members have been exploring the possibility of building a permanent church home for years.  The congregation even bought land at the corner of Shea and Abbott streets, intending to build there in the next year or so.

Then, the church leaders saw that the Active Play building was available on Main Street and jumped at the chance to buy it.

“It seemed more economical, in the short term, to purchase a building than to build a new one,” Mr. Stewart said.

“We really like the location, right on Main Street.  We also were surprised at the size of the building, about 10,000 square feet.  We were looking at building a church about that size.”

The church will continue to hold the land at Shea and Abbott streets for the future.

The church has come a long way since it began as a seed in Mr. Stewart’s mind in the early 1990s.

While he was serving on the staff of a Kingston, Ontario church, Mr. Stewart was faced with a key decision: succeed the senior pastor of his church who was retiring, or strike out on his own with a brand new congregation.

He and his wife Pam prayed about it and became aware that his denomination – the Associated Gospel Churches of Canada – wanted to start a new church in Ottawa’s west end.  He and his wife had experience “planting” a new church in another country and had enjoyed it.  Important factors, such as finding worship leaders, fell into place so they took up the challenge.

Asked about the church’s mission, Mr. Stewart said: “We are helping people to grow with God.”

“This isn’t a country club,” he said.  “God is working here.  He wants us to grow closer to him.  He wants people to become part of his family.”

People will find that they can connect with God in a variety of ways at Community Bible Church.  For example:

• The church offers Sunday morning services with a contemporary music style.  There is sound Bible teaching in sermons, often supported by captivating dramas.
• There are strong children’s and youth programs.  Bev Saemisch designs and leads the Sunday School program while Chris McNaughton heads the junior and senior youth efforts and the college and careers group.
• There are adult “life groups”.  Typically, these involve small group study and prayer on spiritual and life issues from a Christian viewpoint.
• There are affinity groups where people sharing common interests can enjoy each other’s company.
• As well, there is a prayer ministry including after-service prayer for the needs of those attending the Sunday service.
• The church conducts play groups for children, using a Kanata church building.

Mr. Stewart also sees a role for the church in the community.  “We want to be a support, using children’s and youth ministries.  We see them as a real benefit to the community, helping people do wholesome things.”

The church has hosted marriage courses in the past and Mr. Stewart would like to see these courses and others life enhancing courses resume when the congregation moves into its new building.

The people of Community Bible Church are looking forward to having a church home, settling into the Stittsville community on Main Street and working with other area churches to assist others through faith and friendship.