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Centre Street Church
A Biblically functioning community of fully devoted followers of Christ committed to accomplishing God’s redemptive purposes in the world.
Annual Report 2020-2021
ONE CHURCH, MANY LOCATIONS…
| Airdrie Campus | Bearspaw Campus | Bridgeland Campus | Central Campus | South Campus
The pandemic presented a unique time for CSC to truly be the church ‘Living in the life, works and ways of Jesus in a world radically changed by COVID-19.’ In this report, see how God inspired us to rise up as disciples of Jesus, pursuing God, Relationships, Mission, Generosity and Simplicity.
In our spring 2021 COVID survey, we asked what you experienced during COVID:
Loss of income (25%)
Loneliness (38%)
Anxiety (38%)
Joy (32%)
Peace (49%)
More time (46%)
Appreciation (56%)
Gratitude (62%)
May Jesus continue to manifest the fruit of His Spirit in our lives these days.
Many of you committed to worship with us at Central Campus at 4:30pm on Saturdays if we started that service. Well, we have started that service and are encouraged to see all of you joining us!
Did you know, 67% of you connected with one of our ministry videos or groups online through COVID?
66% of you joined us in worship from your home EVERY week! And 83% of you watching online watched the whole service.
In the midst of growing distrust, frustration, confusion and uncertainty, what do the Scriptures call Christ followers to focus on and give their lives to? Catch up on our spring of 2021 series “How Then Shall We Live”.
MESSAGE FROM OUR SENIOR PASTOR
The great challenge we face is determining the ‘main thing’ to give our lives to and then keeping it the ‘main thing’. We’re bombarded with endless distractions. Jesus faced temptations and distractions in His ministry too (Matt 4, Matt 16, Matt 17). COVID and the events surrounding it, can also tempt us to shift focus off the ‘main thing.’
The ‘main thing’ we’re called to is ‘making disciples’ — fully devoted followers of Christ who love God, one another, and those God puts in our path (Matt 28:18-20). But to what degree is this still our primary focus? To what extent have differences over health policies, vaccinations and politics divided or distracted us?
In I Cor 13:12, Paul notes in this life we know in part, but one day we will know everything completely. Until then, he presses on to win the prize for which God has called him” (Phil 3:13-14).
Church, that’s what we’re doing too. We continue to seek Him in prayer, through God-centered worship and Bible-based teaching, and to depend on His enabling grace. We celebrate what He’s doing through us and continue introducing people to Jesus (300+ people accepted Jesus through CSC) and helping them become fully devoted followers passionately pursuing God, authentic disciple-making relationships and His redemptive purposes here and around the world. We continue feeding people (75,000+ meals and hampers distributed), and providing practical help, community and hope.
I thank God for the thousands of you who support our church through your prayer, time, talent and treasure. Thank you for supporting ‘BUILD more room for God.’ Bless you for seeing beyond the pandemic and focusing on future generations, as we benefit from the faith of those gone before us. We celebrate opening Bearspaw Campus and advancing Central Campus, even as costs have increased. And we are thankful for your ongoing support of BUILD.
The following are reflections of how God blessed us and led us this year. Our faith goals and financial goals will test our faith, but will also provide opportunities for each of us to witness God’s power first-hand.
On behalf of our board and staff thank you for supporting us during these times. I love being your senior pastor, and am blessed to serve God alongside you in the greatest cause ever!
To Him be all the glory!
Be blessed!
Pastor Henry Schorr
Glory to God for all He has done in our church this past year and for all He will continue to do!
As a board of governors we remain committed to seeking the Lord’s leading for the church and we are grateful for His provision every step of the way. He has provided abundantly in so many ways and we are marvelled at how He provides through His church body. Thank you Church! You have continuously, sacrificially and cheerfully given of time, talents and treasures and it shows in our fruit locally and globally. Let us continue to be faithful and encouraging of one another for there is a great harvest. May we feel the unity of His spirit as we strive for what lies ahead and leave behind all that hinders for the great work that God has called us to at Centre Street Church. Please continue the prayers of praise for His faithfulness, provision and grace. May the Lord of peace give you peace at all times and richly bless you.
Melanie Nelson,
on behalf of CSC
Board of Governors
2020-2021, the year everything changed…
…the year we innovated and created digital communities with groups, friends, neighbours, locally and around the world.
…the year Special Needs ministry served people in need through Compassion ministry.
…the year restrictions caused us to prioritize spiritual practices in our daily lives.
…the year all ministry areas learned new ways to disciple others expanding our reach today, forever into the future.
…the year parents were equipped to disciple their children through ministry boxes and digital resources.
Five pursuits
FIVE PURSUITS
PURSUE GOD
We pursue intimacy with God, and as we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we grow in our ability to hear and obey God.
“We have meaningful, powerful prayer times via chat, praying with people battling COVID or other health challenges, loved ones on the other side of the world, grief for loved ones who have passed, family struggles, parents praying for their children to return to the Lord, and more…we have celebrated God moving in miraculous ways.”
– Pastor Jared
WEEKEND SERVICES: We gathered regularly to worship God and hear His Word in-person and online. We upped our online game, with a closed caption team generating captions for YouTube replays that can be translated into any language. We are now attracting people from India, Philippines, Russia, UK, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Belgium, United Arab Emirates, U.S. and more.
BAPTISMS AND DECISIONS FOR CHRIST: Even during the pandemic God has been drawing people to himself in unimaginable ways.
“We did a 7-day prayer walk in the highlands around Calgary NE, SE, SW, SE and downtown. Every day somebody different joins. We can feel the Holy Spirit pour out God’s heart. The Holy Spirit guided us to specific prayers at each location. Starting from regional issues, churches, economics, leadership to city, provincial and state leaders. One thing God puts in our hearts every day is to pray for the resurrection and transformation of the people of Calgary. And God’s desire for the body of Christ to get out of their comfort zone and do the Great Commission.”
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all things that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, until the end of time.”
– Matthew 28:19-20
Living an Up In Out Lifestyle simply means that we live with healthy rhythms of connecting UP in our relationship with God, IN with others in community and OUT through living on mission to share the message of the gospel.
PURSUE RELATIONSHIPS
We pursue discipleship-making relationships to support, equip and challenge one another to live the way of Christ (the UP-IN-OUT life).
COMMUNITY GROUPS: We all have a need to be part of a close-knit community to belong, grow, laugh and serve with others as we learn to love God, love each other, and share God’s love with others.
Rudy and Judith have been leading a large missional Community Group for the last four years. Even during Covid, this group has continued to thrive by focusing on God, relationships with each other and serving the community. They met as a group for outdoor fellowship in parks to supplement their meetings over Zoom. This allowed them to celebrate special occasions like birthdays and encourage one another in a particularly challenging season. They decided to serve actively as a group in our church’s Compassion ministry. New members who joined the group have been discipled in community and remarkable spiritual transformation has happened as a result. This group has not allowed the pandemic to rob them of the richness of Christian community and the significance of being salt and light in our neighbourhoods.
“This year we took ministry online (live streaming interactive teaching through YouTube, meeting in community groups over zoom, and connecting with/encouraging youth weekly on Instagram) and met in-person for Community Groups and events whenever possible under COVID restrictions.”
“Children’s Ministries engaged children in practical ways through online teaching lessons, live streams, and ministry boxes. Group leaders led online small groups where children grew in their relationships with one another and Jesus.”
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY ONLINE: This year accelerated our heart to partner with parents in discipling their children to become fully devoted followers of Jesus. Gathering online, we equipped families with monthly ministry boxes of crafts and activities, for weekly streamed Children’s Ministry fun, followed by small group Zoom gatherings.
YOUTH MINISTRIES: We upped our Youth Ministry game to the next level digitally, discipling our youth through centralized streams, allowing many of our youth leaders to focus on building connection & relationships.
SPECIAL NEEDS: Ministry to adults with disabilities grew as adults attended bi-weekly Zoom groups. We ministered to families with children through weekly lesson guides, links to video teaching, access to Ministry Boxes (craft supplies and activity suggestions), personal texts, calls and emails as well as monthly online parent groups for moms and dads.
PURSUE MISSION
As individuals and as a church, we seek to introduce people to Jesus.
CENTRE FOR THE CITY
The pandemic created a unique opportunity for new mission fields. As requests for help grew, we announced our vision for the new Centre for the City, part of the Central Campus expansion. It will help us serve more people in need through Compassionate Ministries and the New Canadian Friendship Centre (NCFC).
COMPASSIONATE MINISTRIES
- 600% increase in need during COVID-19.
- 65000 Prepared meals and food hampers distributed.
- 3000+ notes of encouragement created by our congregation for people in need.
- 30 partner organizations to get prepared meals to people in need.
- 1700 households being supported by CSC each week.
MNE: MONDAY NIGHT EVANGELISM is a group passionate about the message and power of the gospel! Each week they go to the streets of Calgary to share the love of Jesus, pray for the sick and offer Hope to the hurting. Even during COVID, people met with God.
NCFC saw less participants (i.e. refugees) than pre-covid due to border closures. However, we provided a sense of stability, safety, community and hope to new immigrants through:
- Online connection opportunities.
- Providing lunch boxes via compassionate ministries to our students.
- Finding covid related information in other languages to give people.
- Food and income support information to people
- Delivering food, blankets etc to a single mom who had to move right when covid hit (she became a believer shortly after).
- Delivering Bibles in people’s languages to their homes.
PURSUE GENEROSITY
We pursue generosity locally, nationally, and internationally. We joyfully surrender our resource and demonstrate the love of Jesus.
Our community is giving generously according to Biblical principles.
BUILD More Room for God
This year marked the third year of our journey to BUILD. Bearspaw Campus (formerly called Northwest Campus) is open! Central Campus is advancing beautifully with the steel structure bringing shape to the vision. God is good!
Our project costs have increased due to changing local and global realities, as well as some decisions (such as adding square footage) that were made in the long-term interest of the church. We did not reach our previous minimum $18 million goal, but we are grateful that by the third and most economically challenging year of our journey we raised $14.8 million. To the end of August 2021 that giving has increased to $15.7 million. Thank You! As we move into a new chapter of giving, we are working to clarify the remaining costs and expect to have a new giving goal for BUILD later in 2021. Amid lower than anticipated giving, we face important decisions about the pace to move forward with remaining phases of our Central Campus expansion. If giving toward the BUILD project continues at its current rate, we could pay off phases 2&3 of the project in three years and complete construction in two years. Join us in praying for our BUILD projects so we can complete them quickly and minimize use of short-term bridge financing. He is making a way!
“I had been serving on the video team for nine and half years. During that time, I found a sense of purpose, belonging and friends as close as family.
When covid hit in March of 2020, the need for volunteers dried up. During the first lockdown, I would watch the services every weekend from home and feel sad. Centre Street Church has invested a lot in me over the years. Deep down I felt a need to give back to them during this strange time.
Eventually, I was able to come back and join the effort to make services available for the congregation. Throughout covid, this has given me purpose. Gathering with the team members has been so much fun! Seeing familiar faces as they come back to serve has been the best. I’m excited to meet new people as they join this amazing team!”
-Yvette
COVID provided an unprecedented opportunity to pursue simplicity and prioritize spiritual matters as social obligations and calendars cleared.
PURSUE SIMPLICITY
We live simply to have the time to hear God and the resources to accomplish the vision and mission He has called us to.
“COVID allowed our family to develop morning devotional routines our family continues to do regularly…may the heart transformation we experienced over Covid not be just a Covid thing and that we have truly progressed and are not slipping back into old patterns.”
– Christine
“God has been helping me find joy and draw closer to him through the small everyday things, like hanging out with my son! He is teaching me that I can worship him and praise him through many different ways and not just in my quiet time.”
– Josh
Even before COVID we prayed often that God would restore our nations, and the home and the family being attacked and torn apart by work and over scheduling. COVID forced a complete realignment of priorities, causing us to reflect: What am I about and am I content with who I am? The parent I am. The leader I am. The friend I am. The Christ follower. As an individual and as a church, it forced us to ask, God what are you trying to say to us during this time? I hope this process will rip open everything for God to shine a big light into aspects of our lives that are broken.”
– Pastor Matt Schorr
- PURSUE GOD
-
PURSUE GOD
We pursue intimacy with God, and as we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we grow in our ability to hear and obey God.
“We have meaningful, powerful prayer times via chat, praying with people battling COVID or other health challenges, loved ones on the other side of the world, grief for loved ones who have passed, family struggles, parents praying for their children to return to the Lord, and more…we have celebrated God moving in miraculous ways.”
– Pastor JaredWEEKEND SERVICES: We gathered regularly to worship God and hear His Word in-person and online. We upped our online game, with a closed caption team generating captions for YouTube replays that can be translated into any language. We are now attracting people from India, Philippines, Russia, UK, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Belgium, United Arab Emirates, U.S. and more.
BAPTISMS AND DECISIONS FOR CHRIST: Even during the pandemic God has been drawing people to himself in unimaginable ways.
“We did a 7-day prayer walk in the highlands around Calgary NE, SE, SW, SE and downtown. Every day somebody different joins. We can feel the Holy Spirit pour out God’s heart. The Holy Spirit guided us to specific prayers at each location. Starting from regional issues, churches, economics, leadership to city, provincial and state leaders. One thing God puts in our hearts every day is to pray for the resurrection and transformation of the people of Calgary. And God’s desire for the body of Christ to get out of their comfort zone and do the Great Commission.”
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all things that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, until the end of time.”
– Matthew 28:19-20 - PURSUE RELATIONSHIPS
-
Living an Up In Out Lifestyle simply means that we live with healthy rhythms of connecting UP in our relationship with God, IN with others in community and OUT through living on mission to share the message of the gospel.
PURSUE RELATIONSHIPS
We pursue discipleship-making relationships to support, equip and challenge one another to live the way of Christ (the UP-IN-OUT life).
COMMUNITY GROUPS: We all have a need to be part of a close-knit community to belong, grow, laugh and serve with others as we learn to love God, love each other, and share God’s love with others.
Rudy and Judith have been leading a large missional Community Group for the last four years. Even during Covid, this group has continued to thrive by focusing on God, relationships with each other and serving the community. They met as a group for outdoor fellowship in parks to supplement their meetings over Zoom. This allowed them to celebrate special occasions like birthdays and encourage one another in a particularly challenging season. They decided to serve actively as a group in our church’s Compassion ministry. New members who joined the group have been discipled in community and remarkable spiritual transformation has happened as a result. This group has not allowed the pandemic to rob them of the richness of Christian community and the significance of being salt and light in our neighbourhoods.
“This year we took ministry online (live streaming interactive teaching through YouTube, meeting in community groups over zoom, and connecting with/encouraging youth weekly on Instagram) and met in-person for Community Groups and events whenever possible under COVID restrictions.”
“Children’s Ministries engaged children in practical ways through online teaching lessons, live streams, and ministry boxes. Group leaders led online small groups where children grew in their relationships with one another and Jesus.”
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY ONLINE: This year accelerated our heart to partner with parents in discipling their children to become fully devoted followers of Jesus. Gathering online, we equipped families with monthly ministry boxes of crafts and activities, for weekly streamed Children’s Ministry fun, followed by small group Zoom gatherings.
YOUTH MINISTRIES: We upped our Youth Ministry game to the next level digitally, discipling our youth through centralized streams, allowing many of our youth leaders to focus on building connection & relationships.
SPECIAL NEEDS: Ministry to adults with disabilities grew as adults attended bi-weekly Zoom groups. We ministered to families with children through weekly lesson guides, links to video teaching, access to Ministry Boxes (craft supplies and activity suggestions), personal texts, calls and emails as well as monthly online parent groups for moms and dads.
- PURSUE MISSION
-
PURSUE MISSION
As individuals and as a church, we seek to introduce people to Jesus.
CENTRE FOR THE CITY
The pandemic created a unique opportunity for new mission fields. As requests for help grew, we announced our vision for the new Centre for the City, part of the Central Campus expansion. It will help us serve more people in need through Compassionate Ministries and the New Canadian Friendship Centre (NCFC).COMPASSIONATE MINISTRIES
- 600% increase in need during COVID-19.
- 65000 Prepared meals and food hampers distributed.
- 3000+ notes of encouragement created by our congregation for people in need.
- 30 partner organizations to get prepared meals to people in need.
- 1700 households being supported by CSC each week.
MNE: MONDAY NIGHT EVANGELISM is a group passionate about the message and power of the gospel! Each week they go to the streets of Calgary to share the love of Jesus, pray for the sick and offer Hope to the hurting. Even during COVID, people met with God.
NCFC saw less participants (i.e. refugees) than pre-covid due to border closures. However, we provided a sense of stability, safety, community and hope to new immigrants through:
- Online connection opportunities.
- Providing lunch boxes via compassionate ministries to our students.
- Finding covid related information in other languages to give people.
- Food and income support information to people
- Delivering food, blankets etc to a single mom who had to move right when covid hit (she became a believer shortly after).
- Delivering Bibles in people’s languages to their homes.
- PURSUE GENEROSITY
-
PURSUE GENEROSITY
We pursue generosity locally, nationally, and internationally. We joyfully surrender our resource and demonstrate the love of Jesus.
Our community is giving generously according to Biblical principles.
BUILD More Room for God
This year marked the third year of our journey to BUILD. Bearspaw Campus (formerly called Northwest Campus) is open! Central Campus is advancing beautifully with the steel structure bringing shape to the vision. God is good!
Our project costs have increased due to changing local and global realities, as well as some decisions (such as adding square footage) that were made in the long-term interest of the church. We did not reach our previous minimum $18 million goal, but we are grateful that by the third and most economically challenging year of our journey we raised $14.8 million. To the end of August 2021 that giving has increased to $15.7 million. Thank You! As we move into a new chapter of giving, we are working to clarify the remaining costs and expect to have a new giving goal for BUILD later in 2021. Amid lower than anticipated giving, we face important decisions about the pace to move forward with remaining phases of our Central Campus expansion. If giving toward the BUILD project continues at its current rate, we could pay off phases 2&3 of the project in three years and complete construction in two years. Join us in praying for our BUILD projects so we can complete them quickly and minimize use of short-term bridge financing. He is making a way!
“I had been serving on the video team for nine and half years. During that time, I found a sense of purpose, belonging and friends as close as family.
When covid hit in March of 2020, the need for volunteers dried up. During the first lockdown, I would watch the services every weekend from home and feel sad. Centre Street Church has invested a lot in me over the years. Deep down I felt a need to give back to them during this strange time.
Eventually, I was able to come back and join the effort to make services available for the congregation. Throughout covid, this has given me purpose. Gathering with the team members has been so much fun! Seeing familiar faces as they come back to serve has been the best. I’m excited to meet new people as they join this amazing team!”
-Yvette
- PURSUE SIMPLICITY
-
COVID provided an unprecedented opportunity to pursue simplicity and prioritize spiritual matters as social obligations and calendars cleared.
PURSUE SIMPLICITY
We live simply to have the time to hear God and the resources to accomplish the vision and mission He has called us to.
“COVID allowed our family to develop morning devotional routines our family continues to do regularly…may the heart transformation we experienced over Covid not be just a Covid thing and that we have truly progressed and are not slipping back into old patterns.”
– Christine“God has been helping me find joy and draw closer to him through the small everyday things, like hanging out with my son! He is teaching me that I can worship him and praise him through many different ways and not just in my quiet time.”
– JoshEven before COVID we prayed often that God would restore our nations, and the home and the family being attacked and torn apart by work and over scheduling. COVID forced a complete realignment of priorities, causing us to reflect: What am I about and am I content with who I am? The parent I am. The leader I am. The friend I am. The Christ follower. As an individual and as a church, it forced us to ask, God what are you trying to say to us during this time? I hope this process will rip open everything for God to shine a big light into aspects of our lives that are broken.”
– Pastor Matt Schorr
“I picked up some food on this past Tuesday after not eating for several days. Gratitude is overwhelming. COVID has brought me to my knees between jobs. I may not share your faith in “God” but the generosity I witnessed at Centre Street Church Has changed my outlook on humanity and restored hope for our species. Maybe that’s what our time here is all about. The last few months have crushed me (the old me) and buoyed the new me. With a newfound humility may I express infinite gratitude and a heartfelt thanks to all who participated in keeping me alive.”
– Email from a food hamper recipient
“When I look back, this has been a time where my faith has been tested as there were many moments when I did not think I would scale through, but this has taught me that even when we lose faith, God is faithful and He is able to meet us at the point of our needs and accomplish what He has purposed for our lives.”
– Emame