The Need

I was recently asked by a somewhat skeptical, uncharted individual, “Why are you starting a new church? Are all the present churches full?” I offered a brief explanation of our reasons, and saw both some understanding and some surprise in his reaction. This is not an uncommon response by the many who have little understanding of the nature of the Kingdom of God.

This is what I shared with him:

1) The call of God on our lives to start Arbutus Christian Fellowship is clear.

2) The vision to go back to the basics is very clear.

3) Just over 3% of the population of Victoria attends a Bible-believing church. There are many in the city with no church affiliation or Christian belief in God. They need Christ!

4) There are a few churches in the city struggling and closing. In order to combat attrition, new churches need to be planted.

5) There are many who just want to be accepted and loved.

We began just two years ago and quickly discovered we were ministering to a very specific age group. Although people of all ages were attending, from small babies to grandparents of 80 years, the majority in the age group are from 18 to 30.

Our heart’s desire is to minister to an inter-generational congregation, from little babies to great-grandparents.