Deep Water – One Month In

It’s been 4 weeks since we officially launched Deep Water Church. Thus far it has been a success. The 4+ months of planning and preparations were well used. Of course we could have used more time to get ready, but the timing was right and we’re up and running.

What is Deep Water? A group of Christians, mostly from Hillside Wesleyan Church, decided that we wanted to or were supposed to start a new church in downtown Halifax. The idea behind the church was to present Jesus in a way that is relevant to people who haven’t been a part of the church. So, beginning this past summer, we began to meet to prepare to start the new church and at the start of November, we did.

What’s gone right? Most everything.

The theatre, Empire in Park Lane, is ideal for us. The 2 theatres we have together, along with the foyer area, is a great setup for the services, the kids ministry and the meet and greet area. Though we scoped out some other spaces like Neptune and Oxford, it’s clear that this is the space for us.

The services have gone well. This is a testament to the team’s efforts and, especially to AJ’s hard work. He’s done a great job with the Plastic Jesus series and in getting everything and everyone ready.

People who were not part of the launch team have started coming out to services and are bringing friends. This is very important (understatement) and is what makes it all fun.

The compassionate ministry is looking good. I am biased as this is my main focus, but we had good participation in the Operation Christmas Child project. We have a team of 4 focused on leading the church in this area and we have some great plans for the future.

The marketing and experience areas have been top notch, making sure people in the church have what they need to reach out to friends, coworkers, accomplices… essentially their one degree of connections (ever play the game of six degrees of separation? that’s the idea). The signage and welcome people have gotten great feedback, as has the web site (www.deepwaterchurch.com) and, of course, the food!

So, we’re doing great? Deep Water Church is doing great, yes, and though it’s a testament to the talent and hard work invested, the glory goes to God. We’re not in it for ourselves.

The future?

Yeah, if this was all it was, getting the church up and running and then maintaining it , we would be wasting time and resources. We’re here to change Halifax for Jesus, so all this has been groundwork.

I’m looking forward to the first person who comes to the church and chooses to follow Jesus. That will be awesome! And the second, and the third… And I’m looking forward to partnering with FEED NOVA SCOTIA and some other groups like PaxNorth to make a difference amongst the poor in Halifax. If we talk about faith and don’t show love, what good is that? Plus, we’re going to be working on a strategy to invest in a community internationally with development help & resources and missionary efforts. That will rock too. I’m very focused on our responsibility and opportunity to reach beyond our immediate area to the world. We’ve been given a lot; we need to share the opportunities.

All that and I expect us to do much more. I expect to see some good creativity come from Deep Water. The heart of Halifax won’t be changed through one activity or with one approach. The challenge will be to figure out how to do life together in creative ways to reach out. This is not about gathering a bunch of people who already believe in Jesus to talk about what we have in common. We’re working to be relevant to the post-Christian culture.

A month in, I think it’s a good start.

God gets the credit. I’m enjoying the ride.

Explore posts in the same categories: Christian, Deep Water, Hillside, social justice

Tags: Deep Water Church, Empire Theatres Park Lane, Feed Nova Scotia, Halifax, international development project, Operation Christmas Child, PaxNorth, post-Christian culture

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