Fairview (Lindsay, ON) goes MAD to help new church plant
"Is God moving in Thorold?" After taking a walk through the downtown of this small, southern Ontario city you might think the answer is all too obvious. The streets are lined with several boarded up ex-businesses whose windows are decorated with plywood and whose doorways are only used to hold aloft bold, black CLOSED signs. What might have been a vibrant downtown scene in years past now looks more like a business graveyard.
The downtown office of Church by the Canal sits amid the dreary urban scene like a candle in a cave. The church doesn’t have a building to host Sunday morning services, but it has a desire to be a meaningful part of the community in Thorold. Is God moving in Thorold? Just ask the people who attend Church by the Canal.
They were visited by the participants of a missions trip called Go MAD, an annual mission carried out by Fairview Baptist Church in Lindsay, Ontario, in the name of Christ for a church in need, a church that wants to make a difference in their own community but finds it challenging because of their small size or lack of workers and funds.
During the third week of August, from the 14th to the 19th, a small band of families and friends from the far-off church in Lindsay camped in Thorold. Their mission: to Go MAD, to go make a difference in a community in need. The team of 30 or so participants, ranging from toddlers to seniors, had some big plans for Church by the Canal and the city of Thorold.
The Go MAD team put on a free, week-long Kids’ Kamp that was open to anyone and everyone who wished to attend. Hometown Nazareth, the theme for this particular camp, taught kids about Jesus’ life as a child. Thorold kids from all sorts of different backgrounds came out to sing, play, make crafts and learn about Jesus. By the end of the week, verses were handily memorized, songs were enthusiastically sung, but above all, relationships were lovingly built. Through the work of Go MAD, Church by the Canal had some new families to get to know.
The college-age and youth members of the team also put on a car wash and in two hours raised almost $200 for the local food bank all in the name of Church by the Canal.
The Go MAD team also put on a block party, again, for no charge. Hundreds of people showed up at a community park to bounce on inflatable castles, play carnival games, win prizes, and of course, throw Go MAD team members into the dreaded dunk tank! Hot dogs, snowcones, cotton candy and beverages were handed out along with Church by the Canal pamphlets and mission statements. About 350 people came to the party, and Church by the Canal met with several new families and was able to let the community know what they are all about.
But that’s not all. Go MAD team members built some new equipment for Church by the Canal. As a new church plant, Church by the Canal had been meeting in the gymnasium of a school. Transportation of essential items, like chairs, was a weekly hassle, so the men of Go MAD built some equipment that would make transportation of the church a little more manageable. Moving platforms for chairs and a sound box for audio equipment are just a few of the work projects that Go MAD workers were able to carry out.
The Go MAD team worked tirelessly but also felt blessed to be part of this new work in Thorold. Pastor Allan Gallant has a list of about 16 new families for follow up. By the end of the Go MAD mission, the people of Church by the Canal could very confidently say: Yes, God is moving in Thorold.
By Vic Gayed (associate pastor) and Tyler Scarborough (summer intern)