People shared stories – not about work accomplished but
about relationships developed. People began to imagine:
“What if ACC could have such an impact that, whenever
people within 30 minutes had a need, they would think of
asking the church first – as the Red Cross director had?
dave Mcintyre fixing up a picnic table at a special care home.
But when the contractor shared the need with the local
hardware store, all the supplies were donated!
This community serving arm of ACC has been institutionalized as Life Builders Inc., a non-profit organization that exists
to watch, listen and step up to help people in the community
whenever and wherever possible – whether a neighbour, a
stranger or a local community group.
Global Collaboration
Mission, whether near or far, “is all one,” states Vincent.
“God impassions different people in unique ways.” ACC’s
“afar” ministry evolved gradually. It took a year to identify
core global values and another year to check various mission agencies to find a match. Food for the Hungry Canada
aligns with ACC’s values for long-term relationships and sus-tainability. Four members took 10 days to explore high-risk
communities in Guatemala, selecting one remote village for
partnership. The church now participates in child sponsor-ships, sends teams for hands-on projects while building relationships and consistently prays for the people in this village.
ACC now aims “to see every young person grow through
an experience in the Third World (preferably working on a
project with their parents) by the time they graduate.”
The Church in the Community Challenges Past and Present
In 1996 ACC hired a summer student to conduct a com- The “original six” who refused to give up the dying congrega-
munity survey. A clipboard scared people away so the stu- tion are the real heroes of this story! They imagined God was
dent learned to chat informally, inserting questions like up to something and got on board. They worked hard to listen
“Do you go to church? Why not? What do you to their community. And they imagined a house of
“Are you the
need from a church? If a church were able to faith that would embrace their community. Now
church that
meet those needs, would you come?” People’s ACC is known as “the church for kids” – 200 of
top priorities were a family-friendly church with them! (Another 200 adults also gather regularly in
does extreme
programs for children. Out of that beginning small groups.) ACC dedicated a children’s centre
makeovers?”
emerged a warm, friendly environment that in 2004.
values children. The growing edge of the church is young In 2008 the congregation also learned what it means
families. to “do church” in multiple locations with a single focus: it
ACC started a project of watching for needs in the neigh- spilled over onto a second site at Hampton, about 25 minutes
bourhood in May 2008, including asking local schools and away. Together, the two sites draw about 550 congregants
the town council about their needs. As projects were devised, from a 30-minute radius.
congregants signed up for specific ones. By the culminat- ACC’s goal is “to be a church in community (around faith
ing Sunday in June, enthusiasm had grown high. Everyone and fellowship) as well as in the community (multi-site).”
gathered at the church with their equipment, from trucks to Rather than become a “come-to” church, ACC assigned a site
shovels to worship in the community. Then 250 volunteers pastor, Tony Reicker, in September 2008 to invite neighbours
dispersed for about six hours of service, getting their hands around Hampton to join a core group of 45 commissioned
dirty and building relationships with neighbours. from ACC. Four months later, 100 neighbours were participat-
Some served by delivering sandwiches and coffee to ing at Hampton. The question ACC is now asking, “Lord, are
60 site crews. Others painted school benches, installed a there other communities we can be influencing by commis-clothesline, raked “pea rocks” off a play area and tore down sioning another contingent from the ACC home base?”
an old barn. While three parishioners stained a deck for a
senior resident, a next-door neighbour came to admire their
work – and so the team returned the following weekend to
stain that neighbour’s deck!
Celebration Sunday the following week was incredible.
Charlene de Haan is a freelance writer in Toronto. She also coordinates the EFC’s Educational Services. Apohaqui Community
Church is an affiliate of The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
Read all the profiles in this ongoing series at www.faithtoday.ca.
