Experiencing Bethesda
“People arrived weary and leave with peace and hope.”
Nicole Wegscheider
Special to Spur Ottawa
Peace and quiet are a key part of renewal from the busyness of life. It is important to schedule time to disconnect from the constant activity for rest and spiritual renewal. That is the need that Bethesda Renewal Centre seeks to fulfill.
Bethesda is a local Christian retreat centre, run by host family Rob and Sherry Milnes, with their son Josiah.
Josiah describes it as “a quiet place for Christian groups and individuals to come away to pray and be refreshed in God’s presence.”
Rob says his family looks after the grounds, but their work goes far beyond that.
“More than that, we are here to pray for and pray with people when they need to make this place a home. Sherry adds her personal touches to make it homey and welcoming.”
Time and again, the family sees the impact the Bethesda experience has on departing visitors.
“As I introduce my friends to the place they leave happy, with a renewed peace,” says Josiah.
“I have seen people arrive very weary,” Sherry adds, “and I have seen them leave with a peace and a hope in their hearts, to walk ahead.”
The prayer cabin at Bethesda Renewal Centre. Photo by Josiah Milnes.
Bethesda, which comes from the Hebrew for “House of Mercy,” offers groups a large living room, kitchen, dining room, bedrooms, and a loft. The eighty-acre grounds have trails, a forested area, a pond, a chapel, and a sugar shack for maple syrup.
People experience God differently, so Bethesda tries to provide a number of ways to help people connect with their Creator.
“We have seen people experience God on the trails, in the beauty of God’s creation,” Rob says. “We have seen some groups that don’t even go outside—they are fasting, praying, and worshipping the Lord. Some groups enjoy the grounds and use the chapel.”
The retreat centre is located just west of Ottawa, “so close to Ottawa, you can enjoy being part of the activities of the day and get home in fifteen to twenty minutes,” Rob says.
Bethesda hosts a wide variety of age groups and churches, who use the space for retreat, to escape the busyness of life, or simply to spend time with the Lord.
“We welcome [everyone] here,” Sherry says. “We’d like you to come make this a place like a home for you, for a little retreat or a time to walk in the woods, that you would have a quiet time away with the Lord.”
Similar Articles
Canada’s international abortion policy is neo-colonization: Nigerian activist
The Trudeau government has committed more than half a billion dollars to funding abortion overseas (more than five times what it spent on famine relief in Africa). While the new policy was wildly applauded by Canadian media, it is receiving a different response in Africa, where […]
Boys: Why are they falling behind at school?
Did you notice that most of the medals Canada won at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil were won by women? Margaret Wente, an opinion columnist for the Globe and Mail, made the same observation in […]
A church of many nations
Barrhaven has become a melting pot of ethnicities over the last decade. The recently-planted Renewal Church saw this as a fantastic opportunity to impact the quickly-growing community. “I think it’s important to […]
Re-building bridges for Ottawa’s marginalized
The Metropolitan Bible Church’s (MET) 30-year-old outreach program, Bridges, received a structural makeover this fall. The ministry was essentially re-imagined to continue providing Ottawa’s marginalized community with food, faith, and fellowship after
Good tidings to all
Christmas is known as a time of generosity; a time where people embrace giving to their communities. For families, Christmas is an ideal opportunity to instil the value of emulating Christ’s gift to us by giving your time and love to those around you. Volunteering […]
Sold-out conference helps churches reach Ottawa’s marginalized
For two millennia, the Church has branded herself as a place that welcomes those marginalized by society. To help Ottawa churches more effectively welcome and incorporate disabled and marginalized people, several local […]
