The Story of Southridge Community Church

From the very beginning, it’s never been about us.

That was the attitude of a couple dozen families in 1980 as they planted Fairview-Louth Mennonite Brethren Community Church, renovating a small school in rural west St. Catharines. Their goal was to do church in a way that specifically provided opportunities for their children to grow in their knowledge of the Bible and their love for God and His Church. For these founding families, the church wasn’t about them; it was about their kids.

After years of faithfulness, their investment paid off. Faced with the retirement of their pastor, the church decided to appoint one of their own as the next pastor, and the direction of the church began to change. Not only was a contemporary musical style introduced, but a passion to reach people outside the existing church began to take root. A generational transfer in leadership led to radical church transformation because, for these ‘kids’, the church wasn’t about them either; it was about sharing the hope and life-changing power of Jesus Christ with those around them.

...they were once again driven by the idea that the church wasn’t about them; it was about other people in and around the Niagara Region.

By 2003, the expanded facilities on 9th Street could no longer contain the number of people that God was growing through these changes, and the church had to make another critical decision about how to deal with the need for additional facility space. More than that, their desire to serve a greater number of people with the love of Christ made them ask some tough questions about whether their rural location was the most effective home base from which to do that. As they evaluated their facility options, they were once again driven by the idea that the church wasn’t about them; it was about other people in and around the Niagara Region.

Remarkably, God provided the Glenridge Avenue property, and in a sense brought them back to exactly where they started: renovating an old school as a tool for a new generation of leaders to follow the vision God had given them for His church! He not only provided them with facility space to accommodate a growing population of spiritually seeking people; He also allowed them to open their doors – and their lives – to those in need. Since moving to this location, the church has added both a new worship auditorium and a 24-7 homeless shelter as tools to share the message of Christ through both words and action.

Today, Southridge Community Church would like nothing more than to include you in this adventure of a lifetime, growing in and serving Christ together. Whether it’s the relevance of our Sunday services, the authenticity of our group life, or the practical action of our outreach opportunities, we’d love for you to experience the thrill of biblical Christianity – God’s definition of “Real Life”!

Just remember one thing: this church has never been about us. And it never will be!