Connecting people, church and the community.
That's what Community Connections Café at Parkland Community Church in Innisfail is all about.
“There was much need for change,” said Pastor Gerald Bradbury. “We want people to see that church is not a scary place. People can come and socialize in a café style kind of place and connect with each other.”
The grand opening of the Community Connections Cafe took place on April 3 with guest speaker Pastor David Hall, assistant district superintendent with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC).
“He came to officially dedicate (the café) and recognize the fellowship as part of the family of the Pentecostal Assemblies Of Canada.”
The café is situated inside and was built and renovated from a room that was previously used for storage, including caskets that were used for funerals at the church.
“There was nothing there, it was just a closed-in room,” said Bradbury, noting the extensive renovations included the installment of windows, new lighting, walls, cabinets, small appliances, plumbing, as well as new flooring.
“As a board we sat down to discuss different options (for the room).”
Bradbury said he wants to reach out to the communities of Innisfail, Penhold and Bowden, and pointed to the main goal of the new café.
“It's about building relationships. We are real people and real people have a lot of (different) circumstances in life,” he said, noting that people can chat over coffee or tea. “We want to build a bridge between church and community.”
The café will be part of the community connections ministry and will be open for individuals and families on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m.
It is also part of several new changes coming to the church.
In addition, recent new changes include a new slogan, “Real Church, Real People”, a new men's ministry, a new women's group, and a new name for the church itself.
“The name change has come about because we want all things new. We need change,” said Bradbury. “When we came to Innisfail, there were different needs that we were going to have to minister to. The church also felt we needed change. That's when the (idea for the) café started.”
The church board recently voted to pick a new name for the church from the following suggestions: Calvary Pentecostal Assembly and River of Life Pentecostal Assembly.
Bradbury said the congregation and church members are excited about the changes taking place and welcome the new name and fresh start.
“They're very excited and are one hundred per cent behind it,” said Bradbury. “I've always believed that successful ministry is built on relationship building. What better way to do it than with our new Community Connections Cafe.”
For more information on the Community Connections Café, call Parkland Community Church at 403-227-4215 or visit Parkland Community Church on Facebook.
Pastor Gerald Bradbury
"We want people to see that church is not a scary place. People can come and socialize in a café style kind of place and connect with each other."
