Feeling at Home

When I was a kid growing up in Saskatchewan, I did not have a church home. I attended the Lutheran church for their Daily Vacation Bible School program, but during the rest of the time, if I ever went, it was to the United Church. I had few friends who attended church and I only remember it as something we occasionally did on a Sunday. The Catholic church was in sight of our home and was the best attended in our Ukrainian community, but I do not remember ever stepping inside. When we visited grandparents, we got to my parents roots and would attend their home town Mennonite churches. Being scattered like that, in my church experience, deprived me of the great experience of having a church home. I first felt that when, at age 16, we moved to BC and started attending the Olivet Mennonite Church on Langdon Street. The people there were very friendly and I not only fit in right away, but became involved. Five years later, I left for Ocean Falls (see Ocean Falls in the 'Labels') and there attended both the Anglican and the United, but only very sporadically, with two or three old ladies and the priest (Anglican) and the pastor (United). The United Church pastor bragged that he could prepare 6 months of sermons without opening his Bible and I knew at that point that I did not belong there.
Back home, with my new family, we searched for a church home but it was not until 1986 when we first started attending Northview Community Church that we finally felt we were home. Today, many years later, we still love our church and have stood by her through many highlights and many struggles. It is home, where we are nourished, where we worship, where we fellowship, and where we serve. We look forward to our times spent there and never try to 'duck out' of church like in the old days. I cannot imagine life without being part of Northview and the many friends we have made there over the years.