with our churches
Simple church fills many rooms by Josiah Neufeld MANY ROOMS CHURCH COMMUNITY, Winnipeg, Manitoba
M
any Rooms likes to keep church simple. You won’t find this church listed in the Winnipeg white pages because it doesn’t have a phone, a building, an organist, or even a pastor. Sunday nights the congregation gathers in groups of 10 or fewer in each other’s homes to share potluck suppers and collaborative church services that may or may not include Scripture reading, prayer, singing around an old piano and stories from each other’s colourful lives in the West End of Winnipeg, Man. If this sounds more like a family
afford in Winnipeg’s core area and “fill it up with people.”
‘Needed to mess up’ gathering than a church service, it’s “We really needed to mess up our because the assortment of individulives with people,” Travis explains, als and young families—all of whom sitting in the house’s brightly live in the Spence Neighbourhood— painted living room. His shaved are much more concerned about head and bushy beard might be being good neighbours than with intimidating if he didn’t laugh so attendance numbers, music styles, often. or pastoral politics. “We needed to live with them, to “We wanted to know they were hunlive life, be good gry, to know when Travis Unger: “We Christians, love our they had needs. We wanted to live life, be neighbours,” says just wanted to be Travis Unger, who good neighbours— good Christians, love isn’t the pastor. “Our that was an aspect of our neighbours,” goal was never to Christian faith, and have a building, a we needed to live it worship band, or a paid pastor. We out in community.” just wanted to be salt and light.” In 1999 the Ungers bought a Ten years ago Travis and his wife 4,400-square-foot rooming house Stephanie decided they wanted to on Spence Street, swept out the dead buy the largest house they could cockroaches, and renovated it. They
Beaver Creek 40th anniversary You are invited to the 40th anniversary celebration of Beaver Creek Bible Camp, June 26-27, 2010, at the BCBC grounds.
PHOTO COURTESY TRAVIS UNGER
Come Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. for games, food, a live band, camp friends, and (of course) fireworks! Join us Sunday morning for a church service outside at 10:30 a.m. Stay for a potluck lunch (please bring a dessert or a salad). Burgers and drinks will be provided. RSVP by June 10, 2010: bcbcregistrar@lakenet.ca or call 204-378-5238.
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THE MESSENGER | April 2010
Some MRCC members gathered for a house party; Dallas Kornelsen is third from the bottom right.
