In an age where young-adult church attendance is often declining, many churches want to build a vibrant group for this demographic. Springfield Heights Mennonite Church seems to have found a way to make that a reality.
The church is home to a multicultural group of a couple dozen or so young adults. They include married couples and single people, those who are working and those who are still in school or who have just graduated. Led by youth pastors Terrell and Janna Wiebe, this cluster of men and women is like a family. We can be anyone with these people, but we never have to be any more than ourselves.
Every Sunday we sit together and after the service we shoot the breeze until we are the last ones to leave. Even then, we often head out for lunch because two hours a day, one day a week just isn’t enough time to spend in great company.
Twice a year we rent out a Bible camp and revel in a weekend of eating, playing and worshipping God. We love to be together and many have grown up side-by-side through Sunday school and youth group. Now many serve in the congregation as musicians, choir members, preachers, teachers, youth leaders or sound engineers. This is a beautiful community that I am now privileged to call my own.
I moved to Winnipeg nearly two years ago while I was still in school. I wanted to find a church that believed and taught sound theology and housed a pack of young adults within walking distance of my house. I’ve now been attending Springfield Heights for almost 18 months.
This group made it easy to literally walk in off the street. I’m pretty sure I was hugged my first day! I was greeted by at least one of the pastors and invited to sit with all the other young adults, where I learned of their next games night. After that, I was in—a part of the fold.
I’m not the only one to have joined the group. “It’s growing all the time,” says Janna. “It’s astounding to me. We’ve been here two-and-a-half years and we aren’t losing any young adults.”
She believes our group stays strong because of its core members, the half-dozen or so people who grew up together in the church. Senior pastor James Schellenberg calls this core a “critical mass” that other young adults can reach out to, finding quick friendship and a community passionate about welcoming new people into their Christian circle.
Through the passion of this core, the young adults enthusiastically serve their congregation and those in need in the neighbourhood. We recently encouraged the church to participate in the Tools for Schools fundraiser through Winnipeg Harvest, which provides school supplies to new immigrant children in need.
We’ve got a truly phenomenal group, and it’s growing. Every year the attendance at the retreats increases. Rachel Doerksen, a member of the young adult planning committee, says it’s the people who want to be together: “People want to keep it going.”
It’s true. We always anticipate our time together and we’re never disappointed when we leave. We’re loud and ridiculous and full of God-sustained joy.
Are we perfect? No. We’re a wad of imperfection. We need to become still more active in our church, taking on leadership roles and stepping up to serve where needed. We need to remember that our voice is an important one among our elders regarding church policy. We have to build better connections between other churches and their youths and young adults.
As a group, though, we are proof that ministry doesn’t end after youth group. College and career programs can work with effort and a faithful core. We are, quite simply, friends. We’re partners in faith who aim to serve Christ and love God together. We are a church within a church.
To others in the church, be happy that God has blessed us, and be encouraged to build your own ministry. As Paul wrote: “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose” (Philippians 2:1-2).
Thomas Guenther lives in Winnipeg and works as a freelance writer in the city.
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