“A challenge in the immigrant churches is to reach out to the people we daily rub shoulders with.”

Elizabeth Mabie
Spur Ottawa Correspondent

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 be a diverse church so that you can more effectively reach out to everyone you meet,” says Anders Van Volkingburgh, a member of the church’s core team. “I also think it paints a great picture of the Kingdom of God for others to see where people of all races and nations come together, discarding their differences for the sake of Jesus.”

Renewal Church is pastored by Joshua Wang, a second-generation Chinese Canadian, whose wife, Shelly, is Caucasian. Early in their marriage they served in youth ministry at the Chinese Christian Church of Ottawa (CCCO). While serving, they noticed that many Caucasian people feel uncomfortable being the minority in a group. So when the church was going through a transition, Wang brought forward the idea to plant a multi-ethnic church.

“We felt that a challenge in the immigrant churches is to reach out to the people we daily rub shoulders with in our workplaces and neighbourhoods,” explains Wang. “How could we be a faithful witness to them and eliminate barriers, too? There are already enough barriers in the gospel, let alone feelings of discomfort going into a Chinese church. That was the heart behind it.”

“Being part of Renewal Church has completely transformed my faith for the better.” Photo courtesy of Renewal Church.

After lots of prayer and a couple years of research, the elders of CCCO voted to plant Renewal Church. The Wangs and a core team participated in an assessment period with Canadian church-planting network C2C.

“Being part of Renewal Church has completely transformed my faith for the better,” says core team member Ashley Loo. “More than anything it showed me that no one is beyond saving, no one is undeserving of love, and that my brokenness in even the smallest forms isn’t the barrier between me and God, but the pathway to a renewed life in Christ.”

Renewal Church held its first Sunday service in September 2016, at the Chapman Mills Community Building. Their current congregation has between 20 and 40 regular attendees.

“It paints a great picture of the Kingdom of God for others to see people of all races and nations come together, discarding their differences for the sake of Jesus.”

During the week, Renewal Church runs four nights of programs, including the Alpha course. Wang also invites the congregation over to his home for a meal on Sunday evenings, after the message, so those who couldn’t make it to church still have the chance to interact and build relationships within the church family.

“We have a conviction that God didn’t intend for Sunday to be just filling buildings with people, but to fill the neighbourhood and the marketplace with people who are ambassadors,” explains Wang. “We have a small core team of 15 people and it’s not a ‘come and see’ kind of show. It’s more like building relationships one by one, sharing the gospel, and over time seeing what God does with faith.”